The Republic of India has stated its readiness to offer capacity building training for Corps Members. It also said it would strengthen its cooperation with Nigeria on youth empowerment.
The Indian High Commissioner to Nigeria, Abhay Thakur disclosed this on Thursday when he paid a courtesy visit to the NYSC Director-General, Brigadier General Shuaibu Ibrahim in his office in Abuja.
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.
