BY Nigeria Today
The National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) on the 5th of August held SAED competition/Exhibition and on the 6th of August 2022 held a cultural carnival to call on all Nigerians in every facet of life to work towards uniting the country to achieve national growth and development.
The carnival, which was held at the NYSC FCT Orientation Camp, Kubwa, Abuja, included a display of traditional attires, food, and dance steps from diverse cultures in Nigeria by corps members.
The cultures represented at the carnival included the Igbo, Fulani, Yoruba, and Hausa cultures from the South East, North East, South West, and North West regions.
The Benin culture from Edo; Nupe and Gbagyi cultures from Niger; Idoma and Tiv from Benue; Igala and Ebira cultures from Kogi; as well as Ibibio from Akwa Ibom and Others
The different platoons were represented by corps members in a skill match.
The Skills Acquisition and Entrepreneurship Development (SAED), Programme was introduced into the NYSC Orientation Course contents in 2012 and has been a great source of inspiration to a lot of Corps members as they journey to self-actualization and financial independence.
Alhaji Suleiman Abdul, the NYSC FCT Coordinator, said that the carnival which is held during every orientation course for corps members aimed at reawakening the cultural consciousness amongst Nigerian youth.
The cultural carnival which was introduced to the orientation course program a few years ago by the management of the scheme is aimed at reawakening the cultural consciousness of Nigerian youth. It also serves as a platform for cultural exchange and integration, particularly for the young Nigerians who may not have had the opportunity to appreciate other cultures other than their own, he explained.
The closing exhibition showcases the talent, capability, and ingenuity of the camp corps members who have undergone the mandatory skills acquisition session.
They show off their craft over the 8days training period displayed to the camp community and guests, the Cultural Councilor Mr. Lixuda, from China Embassy the other representatives were also present at the event.
NYSC FCT Coordinator urged corps members to continue to uphold the integrity and other good attributes they learned during the orientation period that the SAED program was focused on ensuring their capability to live a meaningful and productive life.
He also advised them to make concerted efforts to excel and become the owner of enterprises and employers of labor.
He said the scheme has proven to be highly effective considering the contributions of the corps members in agriculture, economy, health, and rural infrastructure development among others.
The peak of the Programme was a competition in the following classes Makeup and Gele, Beads making, shoe making, fashion design, and tailoring and knitting.
Speaking on Collaboration with Partners, the State Coordinator maintained that the Scheme has through the years partnered with various financial institutions to make soft loans accessible to Corps members, urging them to take advantage of the opportunity and access loans from institutions like Access Bank, Unity Bank, Nirsal Micro Finance Bank and Central Bank among others.
In an interview with newsmen at the carnival, Abdul added that the cultural display by corps members signified hope for Nigeria’s unity irrespective of cultural diversity.
This program aims to showcase excellence, the diverse cultures we have in Nigeria, and the creativity of the Nigerian youth. That is the essence of the cultural carnival.
Corps members from diverse cultures have come together as one using the instrumentality of the platoons.
“In each platoon, you have Nigerians from diverse cultures who have come together now as members of a platoon to showcase the culture of a particular geo-political zone; that is a sign of unity.
The colorful event was an exquisite galore of native glamour, promoting unity and teaching the different traditions and of life of the diverse people of Nigeria.
The corps members who participated in the carnival are part of the 2022 Batch ‘B’ Stream II corps members sworn in in July. 26th, for the one-year mandatory youth service in the FCT.
