Abuja – The National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) on Wednesday solicited for partnership with the Mobile Telecommunication Network (MTN) Nigeria, on employment, skills acquisition and training for corps members.
Brig.-Gen. Johnson Olawunmi, the Director-General of NYSC, said this when Mr Micheal Ikpoki, the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of MTN, paid a courtesy visit to the service in Abuja.
He said that NYSC was seeking to partner with MTN as statistics conducted by the service revealed that the private sector employed the largest number of corps members in the country.
According to Olawunmi, less that 20 per cent of corps members get employed by Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) of government while the private sector employs over 40 to 50 per cent.
He said that the NYSC was therefore seeking to partner with the private sector and rely less on government in order to provide more skills acquisition, training and employment opportunities for corps members.
“One of my main objectives is to try and seek support with critical stakeholders in the country and this is the private sector.
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“We need to expand collaboration with the private sector and if we are to choose among private organisations to partner with, MTN will be one of them,” he added.
The director-general called on MTN to partner and support the service on its Skill and Acquisition Entrepreneurship Development Programme, Hope Alive Initiative Programme, Health Initiative for Rural Dwellers and the Annual Sports Festival.
He said that the partnership in skills acquisition programme would provide more training to corps members, adding that since the introduction of the programme in 2012, over 400,000 corps members had been trained in various skills.
“MTN can partner either by assisting corps members in providing capital to start up their businesses or training or even employment.
“The Hope Alive Initiative was introduced to give succour to corps members or ex-corps members who sustained one form of disability or another while in service. MTN can assist these youths either financially or through employment.’’
Olawunmi advised that a bilateral committee be set up by both organisations to look into these areas and other areas where partnership can be developed and fostered.
Earlier, Ikpoki said that one of the major agenda of MTN and the NYSC was youth development, adding that with more youths graduating yearly, there was need to think of ways to equip them with the right skills.
He said that this would make them marketable in today’s society, self sufficient and responsible members of society.
The CEO said that MTN was therefore ready and willing to partner the NYSC in order to achieve its corporate social responsibility to the society.
“Today by virtue of the services we provide if you look at the telecoms contribution to GDP it is said that the contribution is nine per cent but we beg to differ.
“We believe we do more because if you do not have an efficient and effective telecommunication infrastructure you cannot be efficient in other areas of the economy.
“So clearly we have a stake as a company in making sure we support youth development. It is something we are very passionate about,” he said. (NAN)
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