The Nigerian House of Representatives is set to review a bill aimed at creating a long-term funding solution for the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC). This new legislation, known as the “NYSC Trust Fund (Establishment) Bill 2024,” seeks to support training and skill development for corps members across the country.
The proposed bill, introduced by a representative from Nasarawa/Toro Federal Constituency, was recently presented in the House. According to a draft obtained on Tuesday, the bill’s core goal is to establish a framework for a special NYSC fund, managed to support skill training, empower young people, and improve operational efficiency within the NYSC.
Section 2(1) provides that the Trust Fund shall “Cover all corps, personnel of the NYSC, orientation camps, formations, facilities and the overall improvement and efficiency in the discharge of their duties and responsibilities.”
When established, the Trust Fund shall consist of “0.2 per cent of total revenue accruing to the Consolidated Revenue Fund, any take-off grant and special intervention fund as may be provided by the Federal Government and such money as may be appropriated to meet the bill’s objective.”
The fund shall also consist of “aids, grants and assistance from international bilateral and multilateral agencies, non-governmental organisations and the organised private sector, grants, donations, endowments, bequests and gifts, whether of money, land or any other property from any source, and money derived from investments made by the Trust Fund.”
In Section 5(1), the bill provides that the Fund shall be used for “meeting the skill acquisition training and empowerment of corps members; meeting the training and re-training needs of the personnel of the NYSC; enhancement of the skills of corps members for improved proficiency and employment generation, as well as the overall improvement, performance and efficiency in the discharge of constitutional roles and responsibilities.”
A Board of Trustees will oversee the administration of the trust fund. This board will include representatives from various sectors, such as the NYSC National Governing Board, the Ministries of Youth Development and Finance, and private sector representatives. It will also include representatives from the Nigeria Governors’ Forum and the Association of Local Government of Nigeria.
In managing the fund, the board will be responsible for setting policies for skill-building programs and determining funding priorities for NYSC activities. They will also have the authority to allocate funds for NYSC projects and ensure compliance with financial regulations.
