The Ministry of Youth Development says it’s working on introducing a training scheme equivalent to the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) for graduates of the Nigeria Certificate in Education (NCE).

The Minister of State for Youth Development, Mr Olawande Wisdom, said this at the opening of the BEMORE OYO 2024 Summer Bootcamp in Ibadan on Monday.

Wisdom said the ministry would partner with the Ministry of Education to introduce new training reforms, one of which is the equivalent of NYSC training for NCE holders and others.

He said social vices had been for long but the training of youths by organisations such as the Boys’ Brigade, Girl Guides and others had kept many away from them.

“The major priority of the ministry is the citizenship and training, and we are bringing them back.

“We have NYSC for those who finished from universities, but what of those who finished from NCE and others?

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“So, we want to set up a training such that you don’t need to go to other states to have it – you can have it in your state and the camp.

“A lot of reforms are going on and we are trying as much as possible to bring a renewed hope to people; to the girls and boys,” he said.

He commended the founder of BEMORE Empowered Girls Foundation, Dr Betty Anyanwu-Akeredolu, for contributing immensely to the development of the girl-child and raising the bar of excellence.

Wisdom, however, called for support for BEMORE and other organisations in the course of the Nigerian women and girls.

Anyanwu-Akeredolu, the wife of the former governor of Ondo State, corrected the erroneous belief that the initiative belonged to and was bankrolled by the Ondo State Government.

She says the initiative is into the building of future female leaders in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM).

She stated that the initiative had been promoting the advancement of the girl-child born out of her life’s experience while growing up.

“We cannot achieve development if we leave behind 50 per cent of our population, made up of women and girls,” Anyanwu-Akeredolu said.

In his address, the Group Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer, Odu’a Investments, Mr Abdulrahman Yinusa, urged participants to take full advantage of the knowledge imparted at the training.

He commended the organisers and mentors for investing in the future of girls through technological initiatives that would drive the future towards sustainability.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the event featured a training session by the Red Cross Society on Cardio Pulmonary Resuscitation (CPR).

This was followed up by a book launch, entitled, “The History of BEMORE, A Historical Voyage by Esther Michael”. (NAN)