NCAC, NYSC partner on job creation through arts, crafts

The Director-General, National Council for Arts and Culture (NCAC), Otunba Segun Runsewe, and his counterpart at the National Youths Service Corps (NYSC), Brig. Gen. Ibrahim Shuaibu, have agreed to collaborate on skills acquisition for corps members.

With the collaboration, NCAC would engage a number of corps members consistently on diverse skills in arts and crafts.

This, both agencies agreed, would equip the youths with the necessary skills for economic self-reliance at the end of the service year.

Runsewe attributed rise in crimes across the country to idleness and stressed that if the youths are equipped with skills, they will stay away from crimes and be useful to themselves.

“We must engage our youths from the beginning. Together, NYSC and NCAC can make Nigeria great because the two agencies are a coin of two sides. The partnership will also reduce unemployment and crime rate among youths,” he said.

Runsewe recalled that NCAC recently trained over two million people across the country on various skills.

The D.G also used the occasion to appeal to Nigerians to stop rejecting corps members posted to them.

According to him, government alone cannot absorb the surging number of prospective Corps members.

“I will also advise that NYSC posts these youths to organisations and departments that are in line with their courses of study.

“It will be unfair for someone who studied Pharmacy to be posted to a hospitality outfit. In developed nations, it is difficult to see people posted outside their field of specialisations.”

The DG NYSC, who earlier set the ball rolling at the courtesy visit at NCAC Headquarters, stated that his mission was to seek partnership on how to better equip the corps members with skills.

According to him, NCAC which coincidentally shares similar history with the NYSC should use its expertise to train corps members on performing arts.

He added that the NYSC is working on a film that will educate Nigerians on the relevance of the NYSC scheme and its contributions to national development.

He also disclosed that management of the scheme established NYSC National Cultural Troupe and cultural Festival as means for corps members to showcase their talents as well as promote the rich cultural heritage of the country.

“As a way out for the Scheme to reduce the unemployment rate among graduate youths, the NYSC in 2012 introduced Skill Acquisition and Entrepreneurship Development Programme (SAED) which has produced a large number of young entrepreneurs.”

He, therefore, urged Runsewe to visit the Orientation Camps to address corps members on the need to use their talents positively and avoid social vices.