CBN Partners NYSC in Graduate Employment Scheme

In its efforts to partner the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) in making young graduates self employed, the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) has presented cash prizes and certificates of merit to Oyo State winners of the recently-introduced NYSC Venture Competition.
The presentation was part of activities marking the Passing Out Ceremony of the 2009 Batch A Corps members in Oyo State.
Under the CBN award, the first prize of N200,000 Venture Capital went to Mr. Olufowobi K. Temitope while Miss Osuji Chioma Stella received the 2nd prize of N150,000 and the 3rd prize of N100,000 was bagged by Onifade J. Oluwasola.
Presenting the awards to the beneficiaries, Alhaji Taofeek Oladejo Arapaja, Oyo State deputy governor, urged them to utilize the fund purposely for investment just as he appealed to young graduates not to limit themselves to being job seekers but job providers through small-scale ventures.
According to him, this is imperative in view of the fact that the era of seeking white collar jobs is over while the challenge before young graduates of today is to endeavour to look inward and put into practice all they had acquired theoretically.
He also called on them to continue to be an embodiment of nationalism and shining examples of the noble ideals of the NYSC scheme, even after leaving the national service.
John Kayode Olayemi, director, Development Finance Department of the CBN explained that  the objectives of the competition includes, encouraging the spirit of creativity and competition among youths, improving access of young entrepreneurs to finance, reducing dependence and search for white collar jobs in line with the principles of needs and stem youth restiveness.
Barrister Gabriel Ibe, the State NYSC Coordinator in his welcome address appealed to members of the youth corps to see the global economic meltdown as a challenge and put themselves at vantage positions “to take good advantage of economic recovery strategies and stimulus being provided by various tiers of government to ride the tide.”
He advised young graduates not to consider any job too menial saying, “it is the finesse which you bring to play on these lowly jobs that will make the difference and bring you clientele.”