The National Youth Service Corps has restated its readiness to provide technical assistance to Sierra Leone for the success of a similar scheme in that country as soon as it gets the nod from the Federal Government.
The Director-General, Brigadier General Sulaiman Kazaure, gave the assurance at a debriefing meeting with a Sierra Leonean Government delegation which came to Nigeria to understudy the NYSC to enable the country achieve success in its newly established National Youth Service.
The debriefing meeting followed an interaction with the NYSC Management team last Monday and a two-day on-the-spot monitoring of the 2017 Batch ‘A’ (Stream One) Orientation Course activities at the NYSC Orientation Camps in Kaduna State and the FCT.
Kazaure said the timing of the Sierra Leone team’s visit to Nigeria was deliberately planned to coincide with the period of the Orientation course in view of its significance as a cardinal programme that serves as the launch-pad for the national service.
He assured that the NYSC would give its best, including the release of personnel, in a bid to provide adequate guidance and help Sierra Leone lay a strong foundation for its National Youth Service.
The Director-General, however, pointed out that the terms and procedures involved in the provision of the technical assistance would have to be formally worked out at governmental level between the two countries.
Earlier, the leader of the Sierra Leonean team, Dr. Sheku G. Kamara, said that the team had been greatly inspired by what it learned about the NYSC during its engagement in Nigeria.
“All our expectations have been exceeded. We shall be eternally grateful. We are confident that what we have learned will enable us create a successful Sierra Leonean National Youth Service,” he said.
Kamara call for a formal collaboration that would enable Nigeria extend further assistance to his country through exchange of personnel and technical expertise, provision of equipment and materials such as uniform as well as provision of vehicles to enhance coordination, monitoring and inspection.
Other areas of assistance requested include capacity to set up website and ICT integrated portal to strengthen enlistment procedures; opportunities to attend NYSC trainings, workshops and research; as well as skills and entrepreneurship development activities.
Earlier, the Chairman of the NYSC reception committee, which took the team on the guided tour, Mr. O. J. Amusan said the Sierra Leoneans were at the Permanent Orientation Camp in Kaduna State to observe verification and registration formalities and were entertained with cultural performance.
Amusan said the team also witnessed the swearing-in ceremony of the 2017 Batch ‘A’ (Stream One) Corps members at the FCT Orientation Camp; adding that officials shared technical information with them at both camps.
