News: BOI Partners NYSC on Youth Entrepreneurship

NYSC - The Bank of Industry (BOI) has signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with the National Youth Service Corp (NYSC) on youth entrepreneurship.

The pact according to the two parties was informed by the need to encourage self sufficiency among graduates without the possibility of waiting for already scarce white collar jobs. The Managing Director of the bank Evelyn Oputu said the move would help entrench the culture of self-reliance and social responsibility on youths.

She explained that the bank was determined to drive the initiative and make a mark in the development of youths and the rural communities through the Village Renewal and SAED, adding that it would give the needed support to any MDA that is willing to come up with initiatives that would develop Nigeria and its populace.

She noted that the signing of the MoU was basically to formalise and strengthen the partnership that started about ten months ago.
Besides, Oputu explained that a good number of Nigeria youths had ideas they wished to showcase but were in dilemma on how to go about bringing those ideas to laudable projects.

She said that the level of work done in the NYSC skills acquisition centre had encouraged the bank to want to go into partnership with it, adding that the bank would continue to develop youths in the urban cities as well as those dwelling in rural communities across the country.

"I had the passion to impact my community when I served, but I did not know how back then.
"The quality of work done by corp members is amazing so we feel we were in a good position to add value to what NYSC is doing. We have always believed that Nigerians are relented, but to earnest these talent have always been the challenge.

"Given what NYSC have done with skill acquisition, we are sure that the bank can collaborate with the corps. We believe the young people have what it takes to change the lot of the country We will be able to put hope in the young people and not only the rural dwellers alone."

Simon Ucheni, a corp member who was able to access a facility of N3.8m from a bank during his service year in 2012, said that he came up with a business idea of packing Nigerian foods, starting with the packaging of garri, adding that he was able to set up a factory and he had never for one day thought of looking for job in any office.

Now with a factory in Lokoja, he advised serving corp members to leverage on the opportunity given by the bank and NYSC and take their eyes off the certificate they had acquired in their various institutions.

In his response, the Director of NYSC Brigadier General Johnson Olawunmi said that the good vision the bank had towards the development of Nigeria had clearly shown that the country still had people who were committed to taking the country to the next level and giving hope to the youth who were the future of the country.

Source: Guardian