A job creation component of the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) is yielding fruit as Corps members become promising entrepreneurs. TONY AKOWE reports
A civil engineering graduate of University of Nigeria Nsukka Ifeanyi Okereke and his Osun State University counterpart Dupe Faith Adeoyin, a biochemist, will end the one-year National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) scheme without worrying about jobs.
The reason is simple: they are already entrepreneurs and well on their way to being employers of labour. They tapped into the job creation vision of the Corps and learned to make shoes and bags and do so quite well.
The idea to equip graduates of tertiary institutions with skills during the Service Year informed the introduction of the skill acquisition and development scheme.
Okereke and Adeoyin were passionate about the skills scheme and are already making a living out of producing shoes and bags.
Okereke told The Nation that the three weeks of camping were not enough to equip them with the required skills and so he had to continue learning the skill after orientation. Ifeanyi who is doing his national service with the Gwagwalada Area Council of the FCT said even though the management of the council may not be officially aware of their activities, he has received tremendous encouragement from staff of the council and other residents of the Area a Council she to the patronage he receives from them.
He said that one of the problems he faced in forging ahead was the lack of a ready market for his finished products, adding that people tend to patronise foreign-made shoes, while ignoring hand-made shoes which he believes have the capacity to stand the test of time.
In spite of that, he said he hopes to engage in mass production of shoes in the near future and transform into an employer of labour. He also believes that government should ban the importation of shoes as a way of encouraging local production as well as generate employment for the youth.
Okereke who had his products on display at the NICON Luxury in Abuja, venue of the 2015 National Productivity Order of Merit award believes that with the right funding, especially in the area of infrastructure and machinery, he will come out with quality shoes that will compete favourably with the imported ones.
Adeoyin has to do something that will brighten her future since the government is not providing jobs for the youth.
She is doing her primary assignment with the University of Abuja Teaching Hospital did not allow the opportunity offered by the training to pass her bye. But how do they source the materials they are using?
She said, “Sourcing the materials is not a problem for us. They are available in the open market. But we are very careful in buying them because we recognise that we need quality leather to come out with something of quality. When we make them, we sell according to the materials we get. We want to make the best and so, we go for the best quality leather”.
While expressing gratitude to the NYSC for introducing the skill acquisition programme, she appeal to the government to assist them in setting up their trade after their service year.
On her part, Queeneth Inyang who graduated from the University of Cape Coast, Ghana is already savouring the reward of the training as she is already having client asking for her footwear and door mat as well as toilet cover and small pillows made from wool. She told The Nation that she started her own training barely three months ago and still trying to perfect the skills.
She said she was trying to finish a client’s job, adding that she was already running behind schedule.
“One woman placed an order for a complete set,” she said. “Unfortunately, when I went to the market, I could not get the colour she needed. But right now, she has chosen another colour and I am working on her order which will be delivered soon”.
Unlike others who are looking forward to setting up a trade, she is still looking forward to a white collar job and will practice her skills part time. She also intends to train others in tuft craft and probably set up a small business on the side to earn additional revenue.
The pair of Adeniji Sunday and Nwaobi Victoria are not left out. Together, they have learnt how to produce paint which they believe can compete favourably with the established ones in the market. They have also the chosen the name, Copalux as the brand name for their paint. With the NYSC logo to go with it, Adeniji told The Nation that many of them learnt different skills while in camp and can produce different kinds of paint. According to him Copalux is produced with the best quality materials which are environment friendly and non toxic. He said further that the materials are sourced in the local market and are not expensive to buy, pointing out that they have been able to come up with the paint purely from the little allowances they are paid at the end of every month. He said “the greatest challenge we are having is the capital. If we can get enough money and the machines, we can produce in large quantity for sale. It is a very lucrative business and very rewarding. We hope to go into full time production after our service year. What we have produced in accordance with international standard and I can assure you that it can compete with the already established paints in the market”. Victoria on her part wants government to come to their assist financially so that they can set up a small plant and become employers of labour. She said “we are not saying they mugs give us the cash. They can assist us by providing us with the equipment to start. I believe the President should look into this. The NYSC has done well by introducing the skill acquisition programme. I think they should look for a way of helping those who passed through the programme so that the skills acquired is not lost due to lack of capital to start”.
However, officials of the NYSC were not forth coming on the motivation behind the programme. An official of the scheme who came with the Corp members refused t speak saying “we have been warned not to speak to the press. It is only the Director that can talk to you”.
