The NYSC Ondo State Coordinator, Mrs. Victoria Nnenna Ani has described the mentoring programme for youths as a global challenge.
The State Coordinator made the declaration while contributing to the debate on youth mentoring organised by Mind-the-Gap, a Google supported programme for 2023 Batch 'B' (Stream II) corps members at the NYSC Permanent Orientation Camp, Ikare-Akoko.
Mrs. Ani asserted that the National Youth Service Corps is a Pathfinder whenever the issue of youth mentoring is mentioned globally and added that the challenges, though overwhelming has strengthened the youth organisation to be more resilient and dynamic in its approach.
"My highly esteemed colleagues and distinguished corps members, the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) is regarded as a trailblazer when it comes to investing in youth development and this is evident in the success story the Scheme has recorded over the last five decades".
"I want to let you know that the society needs to do more if we really want our youths to be more engaging and productive. The global organisations as well as regional bodies, not leaving out the individual nations to be more committed to youth development. The time is now to go back to drawing board and ensure that youths are taken off the streets by instilling the spirit of responsibility through adoption of scientifically proven mentoring programmes".
The NYSC Ondo State boss advised the Federal Government to partner with notable and well established private concerns to fashion out a policy that will engender the continuous monitoring of mentored youths in order to achieve the desired goals.
She challenged the debaters and other corps members to see the programme as a starting point where scientific and technological ideas could be harnessed for the betterment of the country.
Mrs. Ani did not fail to drum support for the Scheme by calling on the political class particularly the legislature and the Executive arm of Government to fashion a quicker way for the President and Commander in Chief of the the Armed Forces, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, GCFR to assent the NYSC Trust Fund bill already with the Presidency.
"I want to use this platform to encourage our political class as well as the Executive arm of Government to drum support for NYSC Trust Fund bill before Mr. President for his assent. I want to assure you that if this is done, the NYSC will expand her scope to further give our youths the needed encouragement and mentorship they need to be global players in all human endeavours" she said.
The platoon representatives who x-rayed the topic - Mentoring Youth: A National Emergency and Call to Leadership collectively agreed that the noble Scheme has indeed given them a sense of belonging and a platform to compete globally.
While contending that the government at all levels should invest more in the Scheme to make her achieve the set objectives, they want their colleagues not to waste the one year mandatory service to the fatherland but deliver on the core mandate of the Scheme as well as impact positively on the host communities.
The Mind-the-Gap Facilitator, Mr. Samuel Kolawole hinted that the organisation will continue to task the intelligence of the graduate youths for national development.
At the end of the keenly contested debate competition, number seven platoon edged others to clinch the first position while number eight and number six platoons came second and third respectively.
The Camp Director, Mr. Babawale Oyinloye Owolabi represented the State Coordinator at the event.
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