Lawrence Nwimo, Awka
Former Director General of the National Directorate of Employment, NDE, Chief Chuku Wachuku, has called on the Federal Government of Nigeria to consider scrapping the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) to pave the way for youth development.
Wachuku made the call on Thursday while featuring as the keynote speaker at the Ikengaonline monthly virtual townhall meeting, Thursday.
Speaking on the topic: ”Unlocking Youths Potentials Through Small and Medium Enterprises,” the former NDE boss said NYSC has outlived its purpose and become a costly project with no tangible benefits.
He also said the annual budget allocated to the scheme can be redirected to unlock youth potential and create millions of jobs.
“What has become the continuing need for the NYSC scheme which has become a money guzzling project with no end in sight. I therefore call on the government to immediately scrap the program which has outlived its time and purpose.
“The collapsed annual budget can be channeled into unlocking the youth potential and creating millions of jobs,” he said.
Wachuku continued: “When I left the NDE as the Director General, unemployment was at three percent in 1984 and we achieved those feats with meager resources. Our highest capital budget then was N109 million. And with that and small recurrent budgets, we were able to achieve 100,000 youth skills acquisition yearly, we were able to engage 36,000 graduates in agriculture and production. We were able to activate 36,000 in SMEs and attract 36,000 in youth special programmes.
“Today, the Federal Government budgets run into billions of naira with some agencies charged with eradicating poverty. Then, why has unemployment continued to soar especially among the youth and why is there still hunger in the land,” he queried.
Wachuku, former National President of the Nigerian Association of Small Scale Industrialists, NASSI, said that unlocking youth potential is not just about job creation but also building the foundation for sustainable economic growth and encouraging innovation for self-reliance.
According to him, youths represent an incredible asset, and by channeling their energies and creativity into Micro Small and Media Enterprises (MSMEs) can turn them from potential job seekers to employers of labour.
On how the country can unlock the potential of youths and create strategies for employment, Wachuku urged the Federal Government to strengthen the private sector by creating enabling policies and environment for innovations and business ventures to thrive.
“Government cannot create employment. Employment and wealth creation must be private sector driven. It is time to own up collective responsibility for unlocking the youths’ potential.
“To achieve this, the government has to create an enabling environment and supportive policies. Private sector players should invest in youth focused MSMEs initiatives through corporate social responsibilities.
“We can leverage on the willingness of NGOs and international organisations to continue to provide the necessary capacity building resources and funding for youth entrepreneurs.”
He also highlighted the potential of Nigerian youths, particularly in the South-East, in digital technology and creative industries, which, he said, can generate revenue streams.
