Brigadier General Shuaibu Ibrahim, Director-General of the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC), will receive the Daily Sun’s Public Service Award.
A statement signed by the NYSC’s Director of Press and Public Relations, Mrs Adenike Adeyemi, is included.
Mr Onuoha Ikeh, the Managing Director and Editor-in-Chief of Daily Sun Newspaper, revealed this when he led some members of the media outfit’s management team on a courtesy visit to present a formal letter to Brigadier General Shuaibu Ibrahim at the NYSC National Directorate Headquarters in Abuja, according to Mrs Adeyemi, the Managing Director and Editor-in-Chief of Daily Sun Newspaper.
The award was established in 2003 to honor Nigerians who have excelled in various fields of human endeavor, according to the MD, who stated that many distinguished Nigerians have received the award in various categories over the years.
He said Brigadier General lbrahim was chosen for the award by the media outfit’s Board of Editors based on his credentials and commendable innovations since taking office as the National Youth Service Corps’ eighteenth Director-General in May 2019.
“Your selection for the award was based on merit because of your outstanding achievements as the eighteenth Director-General of the NYSC, and you have made giant strides through your five-point policy thrust.
We note that you have taken steps to re-energize Skills Acquisition and Entrepreneurship Development, as well as renewed Bank of Industry’s commitment to the resuscitation of Corps Member empowerment.
You started and maintained a new partnership with NIRSAL Microfinance Bank to empower Corps Entrepreneurs, as well as a new partnership with Unity Bank plc.
You’ve partnered with the British American Tobacco Foundation to provide agricultural skills and business training to Corps members, as well as farm internships, mentoring, and farm input supply.
You have had a huge impact in the public sector, and by doing so, you have contributed to good governance,” he said.
Onuoha also praised the Director-General for reviving the NYSC Water Factory and Bakery in Abuja and continuing to build the NYSC North-Cenral Skill Acquisition Centre in Keffi.
Among other notable achievements, he listed the acquisition of modern farm implements for the NYSC Farms in Kwali Abuja, Dungulbi Bauchi State, Samikaka in Kebbi State, and Iseyin in Oyo State as criteria for the award.
He stated that the prestigious Sun Award ceremony will be held in Lagos in October of this year.
In his response, the NYSC Director-General thanked the Sun Newspaper for providing a balanced report on NYSC activities and for educating the public about the Scheme’s programs.
He stated that the award would motivate him to increase the intensity of his humanitarian work.
He stated that no COVID-19 positive cases have been reported in any of the NYSC Orientation Camps across the country.
The NYSC/NCDC partnership, according to Ibrahim, has aided the NCDC and Presidential Steering Committee on COVID-19 in their analysis of NYSC operations, particularly on COVID-19.
He explained that NYSC was created to promote national unity and integration, but that the Scheme has added entrepreneurship training to its Orientation Course program to increase youth empowerment.
“We decided to introduce Skill Acquisition and Entrepreneurship Development as an alternative to empower Corps Members with skills,” General lbrahim said, citing a lack of white-collar jobs as a reason for many graduates being unemployed.
Ibrahim also reaffirmed his call for the creation of a NYSC Trust Fund, which would provide start-up capital to interested Corps Members as they leave service in order to help them launch their businesses.
He stated that the NYSC earnestly seeks the Sun Newspaper’s assistance in raising awareness among Nigerians in this regard.
