The Director-General, National Youth Service Corps, Brigadier General Yushau Ahmed, has advocated for the inclusion of skills acquisition and entrepreneurship programme into its curriculum of the Nigerian Defence Acedemy.
He made the call at the 22nd Convocation Lecture in honour of the graduating cadets of 71 Regular Course and Post- Graduate students on Tuesday in Kaduna. The lecture was titled NYSC and Skills Acquisition for Youth Development in Nigeria: A Panacea to National Security.
The DG while speaking noted that the inclusion of skill aquasation into the curriculum was important noting that the NYSC was ready to partner with the NDA in implementing the programme.
He also noted that the NDA has a vast land which could be used agricultural production urging the administration to enge the cadets in agricultural production utilizing the vast land that was available. He explained that the utilization of the land would help the cadets have radical knowledge of agricultural production, contributing to food sufficiency and promoting sustainable land use in the country.
He noted that the post-graduate school of the college should consider integrating skill acquisition in their studies which will contribute to the training of students in the school and help in self employing the student after their studies.
The DG explained that in such is introduced it wold help the students with valuable practical skills that complement their academic pursuits, enhancing their employability and capacity for self-reliance.
According to him, skills acquisition was critical to national security, adding, ” If someone is engaged and has something to do, he will not think of doing evil against his country.
He argued that the most important thing in the country was for every individual to have skill which would be valuable to the development tof the country in one way or the other.
In an earlier address, the commandant of the NDA, Maj.-Gen. John Ochai thanked the DG for delivering the lecture and noted that skill acquisition was important for the development of the country in the middle of its challenges.
He explained that the lecturer’s submissions were eye-opening to all the individuals in the authority to take responsibility. He noted that after a university degree, individuals should get skills in a specific area with emphasis on the areas in which they are gifted.
He concluded by noting that when individuals take such steps, they will be useful to themselves and contribute to the national economy.
