No fewer than 41,161
graduates have benefitted
from the Graduate Internship
Scheme, GIS, of the Federal
Government and supervised
by the Ministry of Finance.
The scheme’s facilitator in
Ogun, Abubakar Orumah,
made the disclosure in an
interview with the News
Agency of Nigeria, NAN, while
reviewing the success of the
programme in the state.
The GIS commenced in
October 2012 as a social
safety net component of
Subsidy Reinvestment and
Empowerment Programme,
SURE-P.
It is implemented by the
Federal Ministry of Finance
with a mandate to provide
short term employment for
graduates.
Mr. Orumah said that 60
participants graduated from
the programme in Ogun on
September 3 after 12 months
of internship and were
presented with certificate by
the Ministry of Finance.
He said the certificate was in
recognition of the
participants’ skills during the
programme.
According to him, the scheme
is initiated by government to
assist young graduates to
become employers rather
than seeking for job.
“So far, 41,161 graduates
have benefitted from the
scheme with 68 per cent
males, 31 per cent females
and 1 per cent vulnerable.
“Over 35,000 have exited
the scheme, with thousands
of them having secured jobs;
many have secured credit
facilities and grants to
expand businesses they set
up using GIS stipends.
“Many have set up
cooperative associations,
some of which have
transformed into SMEs.
“The programme presents
an opportunity for graduate
interns to gain employment in
organisations where they
worked and in other
establishments or self-
employment,” Mr. Orumah
said.
He noted that the scheme
had demonstrated high
prospects for job creation
and social protection of the
youth since its inception.
He also said that Nigerian
youth had proven that no
amount of pressure, threats
and inducement could derail
their resolve for change
when they were focused.
Mr. Orumah, who is the
Director of Abusanigo Global
Concept, a consulting firm
based in Abuja, said that the
changes currently being
witnessed in Nigeria was a
product of the resilience of
Nigerian youths.
He urged the participants to
use the opportunity of the
internship period to face the
challenges and attendant
curiosities in life.
“It has also brought you to
a crossroad where you are
now able to ask yourself the
question of who you have
become through the process
of the GIS.
“And how that has prepared
you for where you want to
be in future,’’ he added.
He commended the public,
private and non-
governmental organisations
that had over the years
demonstrated their
commitment to Nigerian youth
by agreeing to partner with
the scheme and host
graduates for 12 months.
Mr. Orumah urged the
graduates to join hands with
the government to achieve
its task of national
development.
He assured that government
was working hard to ensure
that unemployed graduates
acquired skills which would
make them employers of
labour.
Mr. Orumah added: “As long
as thousands of graduates
still remain unemployed, I
assure you that government
will continue to improve the
capacity of the scheme to
absorb more applicants.
“My hope is that the GIS will
be yet, another example that
Nigeria will sell to the world
as a way out of graduate
unemployment.

www.premiumtimesng.com/news/more-news/210684-41000-graduates-benefit-sure-p-scheme-official.html
Thank you President Jonathan

In 2015 tribalism won, and patriotism lost. Nigerians, Afonjas included, know you overperformed. We all thank you.

Now nothing except blame is blame is happening.