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India To Partner NYSC on Capacity Building For Corps Members

Published

3 years ago

September 23, 2021

The Gleamer

Joel Ajayi

The Republic of India has stated its readiness to offer capacity building training for Corps Members.

It also said it would strenghten its cooperation with Nigeria on youth empowerment.

In a press statement issued by the Director, Press and Public RelationsAdenike Adeyemi (Mrs) on Thursday in Abuja, shortly after India Commissioner to Nigeria Abhay Thakur paid a courtesy visit to the NYSC Director-General, Brigadier General Shuaibu Ibrahim in his office

He commended the NYSC for its roles as the only Federal Government agency that manages graduate youths for national development.

The diplomat disclosed that India also has National Cadet Corps (NCC) of more than one million youths, which like the NYSC has a large gathering of youth population.

He extended his country’s invitation to the NYSC to select Corps Members and officials that would participate in the Republic Day Parade to mark the seventy-fifth Independence Anninversary celebration of India, which comes up in January next year.

He said the event would have in attendance, many Heads of Governments across the world.
Thakur added that India had collaborated with different Federal Government agencies through the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, as well as Budget and National Planning for technical and economic collaboration.

“We are delighted to extend our hitech programme to the NYSC though financial hub, management, agricricultural practices, media and communications. We feel very happy to extend this programme and collaborate with the NYSC.

The aim of the NCC of India is to develop character, comradeship, discipline, the spirit of adventure and self service”, he said.
The Director-General, Brigadier Shuaibu lbrahim congratulated all lndians on the seventy-fifth Independence Anniversary.

He said the NYSC was established to promote national unity and integration as a fall-out of the Nigeria Civil War.

He added that the Scheme is the only agency in the African continent that mobilises so many graduate youths for Service every year.
He promised that the criteria for the selection of Corps Members that would be participate in the anniversary would be transparent.

General Ibrahim informed the Indian diplomat that Corps Members performed creditably during the outbreat of COVID-19 pandemic last year by producing different anti-COVID-19 items such as facemasks, hand sanitizers, liquid soaps, foot-operated water and soap dispensers, among others, which were distributed free to Nigerians nationwide.

He added that it is only in the NYSC that Corps Members are tested for COVID-19, free of charge, after which those that test negative are allowed into the camp, while those that test positive are taken away by officials of the NCDC and state ministries of health for treatment and management.

“Corps Members have been contributing immensely to National Development.
They have lots of potentials, and they have been sensitising Nigerians on the non-pharmaceutical anti-COVID-19 protocols”, he said.

He added that the partnership with NCDC and Presidential Steering Committee on COVID-19 have assisted the government on data analysis of COVID-19 in Nigeria.

The Director-General said the NYSC was involved in the establishment of similar youth agency in Gambia.

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RMRDC: Making Giant Strides Under Prof. Nnanyelugo Martins Ike-Muonso

Published

12 hours ago

September 19, 2024

The Gleamer

By Joel Ajayi

As we embark on a journey, we always pray for an able, experienced, and courageous driver, pilot, or sailor depending on the means of transportation.

This is because the captain will have enough experience and boldness to navigate out of turbulence and to bring all the passengers and crew to the intended destination.

Interestingly, these fine qualities of ability, experience, boldness, and many more, abound in the man, Prof. Nnanyelugo Martins Ike-Muonso, who we all are pleased was appointed the Raw Materials Research and Development Council, RMRDC, the Director General/CEO by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu a few months ago. This is because he has brought his knowledge, ability, experience, and doggedness to bear in carrying out his assignment in charge of the Council.

The RMRDC, operating under the Federal Ministry of Innovation, Science, and Technology, is pivotal in driving Nigeria’s industrial growth by optimizing local raw materials exploitation, development, and utilization. RMRDC, ab initio, was conceived as a child of necessity when Nigeria was reeling from the throes of global recession and plummeting crude oil prices.

Without an iota of doubt, today, the council is experiencing a transformation with massive innovation in raw material exploitation, development, and utilization, supporting business and industrial growth, and contributing to Nigeria’s economic prosperity.

Speaking during a press briefing on Tuesday, in Abuja to commemorate his 100 days in office, he said the council is laying a solid foundation through numerous innovations that will further enhance growth in the country.

According to him, “In the past 100 days, my strategic pursuits have been to lay solid foundations for enduring success in these goals.

“Upon assuming this position, I set five crucial deliverables which include, refocusing the Council as a premier research institution; Strengthening the Council’s productivity and operational efficiency; and Significantly improving the staff welfare to be the best in the class of similar organizations.

“Others include, Boosting the Council’s visibility and instituting remarkable culture change that encourages ownership and productivity as well as Strengthening and deepening the Council’s place in the international arena.”While speaking on his Achievements so far, the DG revealed further: “My first task, therefore, was to implement a strategic goal-setting for the Council’s staff to define and set out clear objectives and targets to be achieved by the Council within a specified period towards refocusing on this historical mandate. We unleashed five significant initiatives in that regard.

“The nationwide raw material data collection exercise that focused on technical and investment information to drive our mission forward.

“The restructuring and renaming of the former Technology Innovation Complex (TIC), at the Obasanjo Space Center at Airport Road, Abuja, to a Research and Demonstration Plants Complex (RDPC). This complex will be Africa’s first center of excellence in raw material research, featuring state-of-the-art laboratories, technology development workshops, and proof of concept demonstrations.

“We have reactivated the Council’s Journal and repositioned it internationally. The repositioned Journal of Raw Material Research (JORMAR) will host RMRDC’s researchers’ publications, which are crucial in promoting awareness, facilitating knowledge sharing, and informing stakeholders about the opportunities and challenges in Nigeria’s raw materials sector. “The collaboration with universities and academies will strengthen our capacity for conducting market-guided research, ensuring sustained workforce training while deepening our orientation in science.

“The council has reformulated a new template for all our research proposals to ensure and sustain a clear departure from the old culture of blue-sky and deliberately endless research.”Speaking further, Prof Nwanyelugo Martins Ike-Muonso stated that Staff welfare remains a top priority as an issue of unpaid salaries is settled as well as set up a comprehensive welfare program. “Similarly, we established the RMRDC Training School to sustainably build our staff and stakeholders’ capacity to further the staff welfare improvement goal.

“We are committed to openness, inclusiveness, and performance management and have initiated steps to continuously improve staff ownership, orchestrate transformative culture change, boost our corporate visibility, and enhance.

“To further strengthen our visibility and communication strategies, we are upgrading our media infrastructure, which includes the launch of the RMRDC online media platform, The RMRDC TV Online.

“Additionally, we are working hard to effectively enhance the intellectual property and patent portfolio of RMRDC from its current 40 to approximately 200 new patents within the next 24 months. This proactive approach secures valuable IP assets and positions the Council as a leader in innovation within the raw materials sector, contributing to Nigeria’s overall economic growth.“As well as launching an e-registration and certification portal to enhance transparency in the raw materials sector,” DG revealed.

He however reaffirmed his commitment to reshape the future of research, technology, and innovation, driving Nigeria towards an industrially vibrant and technologically resilient economy.

“As I mark 100 days in office, I boldly say that the Council is on the verge of rewriting its history.

“I believe that in no distant future, RMRDC will play a leading role in enhancing raw materials’ development to boost raw materials’ industrial trial processing and attain sustainable industrial growth in Nigeria.

The DG, however, applauded the Minister of Innovation, Science, and Technology, Chief Uche Geoffrey Nnaji, for his unwavering support and mentorship, saying the Minister’s leadership has been instrumental in the progress made so far.

In his opening remarks, the Directorate of Corporate Affairs, Mr Chucks Ngaha commended the hard-working DG who has weathered the storm further to put the Council on the ladder of more prosperity.

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