The Federal Government plans to invest N50 billion to empower at least 5,000 National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) members, equating to about N10 million each, according to Youth Development Minister Dr. Jemila Ibrahim. She announced this in Paiko, Niger State, this week.

Additionally, a National Youth Skills Programme (NYSP) is set to launch soon, aiming to train one million young Nigerians in various fields, including technology and agriculture. During the 2024 Batch B, Stream 1 orientation course swearing-in ceremony in Paiko, Ibrahim also mentioned that applications for the ‘restructured’ Nigerian Youth Investment Fund (NYIF) are now open, allowing young people to access financial support.

Ibrahim encouraged youths nationwide to utilize the NYIF to bring their business ideas to life and to embrace the NYSP for gaining new competencies and developing well-rounded skills.

Niger State Governor, Alhaji Mohammed Bago, announced plans to construct a new NYSC permanent orientation camp, replacing the current temporary structures. “We want to build a brand new NYSC camp; so today we are putting N5 billion for a new NYSC camp and sink five boreholes and toilets in the temporary camp,” Bago stated.

To boost the morale of the corps members, the governor announced a N200,000 bonus for each corps member in the 2024 Batch B, Stream 1, along with 20 cows and a truck of rice to ensure their comfort. He urged corps members to participate in the state's agricultural revolution program to address the food crisis, highlighting his administration’s significant investments in agriculture.

NYSC Director-General Brigadier General Yushau Ahmed thanked the governor for approving the N5 billion for the new NYSC camp construction and praised the N200,000 bonus for corps members. He encouraged other governors to follow this example to support and motivate corps members.