Nigerian youths, specifically students of tertiary institutions across the nation and the National Youth Service Corps, NYSC, members have commended The
Naija Green Card initiative, saying it was a timely initiative aimed at ameliorating the current challenges they face.
The Naija Green Card is a social security cover for this category of Nigerians. It is a medium that allows recognizable person or persons to access the privilege to save as they spend on goods and services.
The initiative has over 1000 corporate partners nationwide spanning a broad spectrum of service providers/products/business organsations who have signed partnership agreements to provide between 5 to 50 percent discounts to identifiable Nigerian students from all tertiary Institutions and youth corps members.
Narrating how she had benefited from the project, a 2015 Batch “A” corps member, Chiamaka O. commended the management of the Naija Green Card, saying the initiative has transformed her life and other less-privileged youth. “I finished service in April, 2016. I got The Naija Green Card during orientation camp, Kubwa. I utilized the discount card well during my service year and got much savings from my spending. Amazingly, it was the discount card that brought me on the job I am today.
“I got the invitation for the final interview late at 9:30 PM and the interview was the next day according to the text. Hence, the only option left for me was to take flight if I must attend the interview the next day. But financially I was debilitated as I only had N20,000 left in my savings account from the Naija Green Card discounts while the flight ticket to Lagos from Abuja was N22,000. I contacted family and friends to assist in raising some money for me but all my efforts proved abortive. My Dad is a civil servant and for months he was not paid. Hopelessly, on checking the directory of Naija Green Card, I saw Dana Airlines as a partner airline with 10% discount for holders of Naija Green Card. I boarded the Airline the next and amazingly I had N2,200 left in my pocket out of the N20,000 that ordinarily wouldn’t have taken me to Lagos by flight. I am fortunate to be among the the best three hired by the organization. The Naija Green Card is, indeed, a Nigerian Student’s and Corpers’ Discount Card,” Chiamaka said.
Also testifying to the benefits of The Naija Green Card, a student of Mass Communication at the Benue State University, Makurdi, Sunday Ochogwu, commended the initiative, noting that it had, in a long way, reduced his financial burdens, as he can now cope with the new state of the nation’s economy. “When I first heard about The Naija Green Card, I didn’t give it any attention because I felt it was the usual fraudulent initiatives we have heard over the years. We had heard about things like this but when you go into it, it would all be about extorting money from helpless students. However, I decided to give it a trial after I saw a post on my brother’s Facebook wall promoting the initiative. I quickly contacted him and he directed me to the nearest office where I could obtain the card. I got there and I got the card at the cost of N1,000 only. Since then the experience is credible and powerful! I have used the Card for different shopping at discounted rates from its different partners. I even use it for my personal business now on campus and elsewhere. I have used it to get things for my friends at discounted rates and I pocketed the balance from the actual market value of the products for my upkeep on campus. I still have three years ahead of me to use the card as a student and as a prospective corps member, even though it’s subject to annual renewal. God bless whoever that is behind The Green Card initiative,” Sunday said.
Similarly, a serving Corps member, Felix Ameh, serving in Owerri, Imo state, stated that the initiative as a social security plan for Nigerian tertiary students and corps members is credible and a welcome development. He lamented that many corps members serving in the rural areas were not aware of this beneficial initiative that they would have enjoyed during their service year. Felix, therefore, urged the management of The Naija Green Card to extend the awareness to the rural areas. “This is indeed, a credible social protection plan for Naija Youths! I have discount on virtually everything I buy now with The Naija Green Card. I have, as well, simply referred my closed friends to visit their website because they couldn’t believe me. How I wish the management of Naija Green Card would do more publicity on this program. Many of us are not aware of it and the moment one is out of service, it becomes useless for the fact that it’s only for students and corps members.”
Speaking with newsmen, the Chairman/CEO, Naija Green Card, and a former member of the House of Representative, Bimbo Daramola, threw more light on the vision behind the first ever Social Protection Plan for Nigerian youths (Students and corps members).
Daramola stressed that the vision was driven by his passion for the welfare of Nigerian students and corps members who are the next generation leaders but are financially dependents while pursuing future careers in various Nigerian tertiary Institutions where there is little or no welfare package to alleviate their sufferings on campuses and Places of Primary Assignment, PPA.
“Well, the vision is simple. It is to be able to help young people to deal with the social economic reality that we presently face as a people.
“You will recall that about 27 state governments could not pay salaries to their workers, for instance: can state governments that cannot pay salaries and pensions give students scholarships, grants and sponsorship? No! And then we want to raise a successful generation that had gone through schools, acquired knowledge and learnt all that needed to be learnt and come out as good medical Doctors, Lawyers, Engineers, and alike when you have not invested in their education.
”You did not invest in the process that would ultimately make them qualify and good enough for practice and then you expect that at the end of 7 years, you will have good medical doctors. It is not to wish it into existence but you must invest in the process.
“This is why we are doing what we are doing. We realize today that the challenges that we face as a nation are affecting everybody. But don’t forget that the youth populations are the ones in the height of the storm. How do I mean? If you have 27 states that cannot pay salaries and pensions, are they the ones that can give scholarships, sponsorships and grants to students? They most likely will not be able to do so. Not because those governments are not willing to do but they practically can’t afford to do so.
“Today income is shrinking; the value of the Naira is dwindling by the day. What N10,000 could buy in January, it can’t buy it now. As we began to look at this socio-economic realities, it beholds on us that if we must raise a successful generation that will carry on the mantle of leadership in the days to come, we must as a matter of fact, invest in the processes that will eventually lead to the next generation. The state (nation) must critically invest in the successor generation. This is a factor that must not be missing.
“These students don’t work, and if they don’t work, where do they get money from? They get their money from their parents. And the amount of money that goes to them from their parents is a margin of what they get as a way of salaries, allowances and other income stream. And like I said before, all of that is shrinking by the day. The value of money is dropping, income dwindling, and capacity to make more money is shrinking. So this is why we come up with this Nigerian Students and Youth Corps members’ Discount Card as a social security plan for this young people to give them insurance in this present reality.”
Deeply passionate about Nigerian youths’ welfare, the former Reps member further revealed some current formula being adopted by the helpless Nigerian students and corp members to cope with the present economic realities. “We are aware of students having harrowing feeding configurations on campuses these days ranging from: 001 – No Breakfast/No Lunch/Only Dinner, 100 – Breakfast only/No Lunch/No Dinner, 010 – No Breakfast/Lunch/No Dinner, 000 – No Breakfast/No Lunch/No Dinner (In some cases).
“This is a critical situation and I sympathize with people in those states where state government cannot pay salaries of workers. In such places where do the students get money from to buy goods/services from the same markets every other influential Nigerian goes? How would they travel when the transportation fare is the same for both stream income earners and them, and all of that?
“The project is not about promoting consumerism thereby creating further opportunities for students by way of saving as they spend, and directing traffic of prospective patrons to the partners’ products and services only. But it also has two other legs. The one called academic village which promotes learning and; scholarship knowledge beyond borders. This opens students to have access to lecturers and their publications outside their immediate institutions.
“Naija Green Card also avails students and corps members alike the opportunity to attain skill acquisition and empowerment from organisations who are partners like Gashion Designers Association of Nigeria. Through this, young people who are card holders can acquire skill in tailoring and as such, make extra bucks to sustain themselves comfortably in school and outside school.”
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