NYSC DG bags Daily Sun’s public service award


The Director-General of National Youth Service Corps (NYSC), Brig-General Shuaibu Ibrahim, will be confered with Daily Sun’s Public Service Award in  a ceremony slated for October in  Lagos, a statement from General Ibrahim’s office said Monday.


The Managing Director and Editor-in-Chief of Daily Sun Newspaper, Mr Onuoha Ikeh, disclosed this Monday when he led some management team on a courtesy visit to the NYSC national directorate headquarters in Abuja.


The MD who said the award was instituted in 2003 to honour Nigerians who have done well in different fields of human endeavour added that many distinguished Nigerians had been confered with the award in different categories over the years.He said Brig-General lbrahim was selected for the award by the board of editors of the media outfit based on his pedgree and laudable innovations since his assumption of office as the 18th DG of the scheme in May, 2019.


“Your selection for the award was based on merit because of your outstanding achievements in piloting the affairs of the NYSC. As the eighteenth Director-General, you have made giant strides through your five point policy thrust.


“We note that you have taken steps towards re-invigorating the Skills Acquisition and Entrepreneurship Development, you have also renewed the commitment of Bank of Industry towards the resucitation of empowerment of Corps Members,” the  MD said.


He further said that General Ibrahim who had   initiated and  sustained new collaboration with NIRSAL Microfinance Bank on empowerment of corps entrepreneurs, opening of a new partnership with Unity Bank plc as well as the collaboration with British American Tobacco Foundation on the empowerment of corps members with agricultural skills and business trainings, farm internship, mentoring and farm input supply, had indeed earned their recognition.


Onuoha also commended General Ibrahim for resuscitating the NYSC water factory and bakery in Abuja and for the on-going construction of the NYSC North-cenral skill acquisition centre in Keffi.


He listed the acquisition of modern farm implements for the NYSC Farms located at Kwali Abuja, Dungulbi Bauchi state, Samikaka in Kebbi state, and Iseyin in Oyo state, among other notable achievements as part of the criteria for the  award.


“You have made a tremendous impact in the public service and by so doing contributing to good governance,” he said.


General  Shuaibu in his response, thanked the Sun Newspaper for giving balanced reportage to NYSC activities and also sensitising the public on the scheme’s programmes.


He said the award would spur him to add more impetus in his service to humanity, even as he disclosed that up till date, there is no COVID-19 positive case in any of the NYSC orientation camps across the country as only those  tested negative were admitted into camps, adding  that the NYSC/NCDC partnership has helped on data analysis  on COVID-19 nationwide.


General lbrahim said  in a bid to reduce graduate unemployment, “we decided to introduce Skill Acquisition and Entrepreneurship Development as an alternative to empower Corps Members with skills.”


The DG also  reiterated his appeal for the establishment of NYSC Trust Fund that would make start-up capital available to all the corps members as they exit service in order to kick-start their businesses.
“We earnestly solicit the support of the Sun Newspaper to sensitise Nigerians in this regard”, General lbrahim said.