The Director-General, Brigadier General Sulaiman Kazaure, has hosted his first major interactive session with the media during which he unveiled his policy direction.

Addressing Editors, Bureau Chiefs and reporters of various media houses at the Rock View Hotel, Abuja today, Kazaure expressed his determination not only to build on the achievements of his predecessors, but also to break new grounds.

He enumerated other areas that his administration will focus on to include improvement welfare and security of Corps members, motivation of staff through enhanced welfare, and expansion of the Skills Acquisition and Entrepreneurship Development (SAED) programme of the scheme.

Shedding light on the his plan for the SAED programme, he said more skills centres would be established while the Scheme would also pursue greater stakeholders involvement for skill and material support.

"Since I came on board, we have extended the frontiers of SAED by signing an MoU with Access Bank Plc for the construction of a huge skills training centre in Gombe that is expected to serve Corps members in the north-eastern states.

"We are currently in discussion with Hall 7 Developers, the Chinese Embassy and a Chinese businessman for establishment of similar skills centres in other parts of Nigeria," he said.

He said over six hundred thousand Corps members have been trained so far since the inception of the SAED programme out of whom about five thousand have established their own businesses.

The Director-General said the Scheme had continued to take measures aimed at ensuring the security and general welfare of Corps members.

Among other things, he said, the Scheme had recently increased the level of liaison with security agencies, upgraded the NYSC Distress Call Centre, and reviewed the content of Security Tips pamphlet being issued to Corps members - all in a bid to ensure their safety wherever they are serving.

Kazaure used the occasion to thank journalists for being dependable friends of the NYSC, adding that their support over the years has contributed to the successful conduct of the Scheme's operations.

Earlier in a welcome address, the Director of Press and Public Relations, Mrs. Abosede Aderibigbe, had told the journalists gathered at the event that the Director-General had passion for a sustained cordial relationship with the media.

Aderibigbe urged them to continue to ensure objectivity and balanced reportage, especially on issues affecting the NYSC.

She assured that the Scheme would continue to keep its doors open to them for clarification on matters regarding the scheme's operations.