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NYSC, NSUK Partner On Entrepreneurship Training For Corps Members

Published

1 year ago

June 7, 2023

Joel Ajayi

The Director General of National Youth Service Corps, Brigadier General Yusha’u Dogara Ahmed has said the Scheme is poised to empower Corps Members for wealth creation with the support of relevant stakeholders.

He said his administration would continue to deepen the impact of Skills Acquisition and Entrepreneurship Development for the growth of national economy.

Ahmed disclosed this during the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding between NYSC and Nasarawa State University, Keffi, on the training of Corps Members by entrepreneurship professionals from the institution.

He said the challenges of unemployment has called for collaboration with the Scheme to encourage youths for self reliance and entrepreneurship.

General Ahmed while speaking through the Director, Planning Research and Statistics, Alhaji Ahmed Wada Ikaka said this would curtail youth restiveness and other forms of criminal tendencies.

“Our decision to go into this partnership is to enable us optimize the benefits of NYSC SAED Centre in Keffi with the help of professional entrepreneurship trainers of the university”, the DG said.

He added that the partnership would also enable the Scheme in training Members of the host community from the NYSC SAED Centre.

The DG urged Corps Members and other youths to embrace the opportunity of the ultra-modern equipment at the Centre to empower themselves for financial independent.

The Director, Skill Acquisition and Entrepreneurship Development (SAED) in NYSC, Mrs Ngozi Nwatarali disclosed that one of the cardinal objectives of the NYSC is to encourage Corps Members acquire skills that will enable them become self-reliant and self employed for economic growth.

She added that NYSC graduate youths are not only adequately sensitized and given entrepreneurship and skills training, the Scheme facilitates start-up funds for their businesses through several financial partners as well as the provision of business mentorship until their businesses becomes successful.

“We have recorded 37,248 established businesses by Ex-Corps Members which has multiplying effects in providing employment opportunities for the youths, creating wealth and taking the youths off the streets and far away from crime”, she stated.

The Vice-Chancellor, Nasarawa State University, Keffi Professor Suleiman Bala Mohammad, who was represented by the Deputy Vice -Chancellor, Administration, Prof. Saadatu Hassan Liman said entrepreneurship is a source of wealth creation for every nation.

He described entrepreneurs as national assets towards economic growth for every nation which must be assisted.
The VC commended NYSC for empowering Corps Members with vocational skills during the service year.

“The training of Corps Members on Skills Acquisition is a tremendous achievement that the NYSC should work hard to sustain. I assure you of our utmost dedication to the cause of this collaboration”, the VC said.

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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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