By our Reporter
Brigadier General Olakunle Nafiu, Director-General of the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC), has said the Scheme will continue to reposition its strategies toward improved corps welfare, enhanced security, and strategic communication that aligns with contemporary realities.
He stated this during a command performance by corps members and a lecture commemorating the 53rd anniversary of the Scheme, held in Abuja.
General Nafiu, who paid tribute to the founding fathers of the NYSC, urged staff and corps members to uphold the core values of patriotism, efficiency, discipline, integrity, teamwork, and selfless service, which remain the hallmarks of the Scheme.
“Management remains committed to strengthening the NYSC to better meet the evolving needs of contemporary Nigerian society and ensure its future relevance. As a matter of priority, we will continue to focus on enhancing the security and welfare of corps members, fostering social and personal growth, building a resilient workforce, and promoting strategic communication in all our operations.
“Together, we must continue to reposition the NYSC to be more effective in line with contemporary realities and national aspirations,” he said.
Speaking further, General Nafiu said the NYSC Skills Acquisition and Entrepreneurship Development (SAED) programme has equipped thousands of corps members with vocational and entrepreneurial skills, leading to self-reliance, job creation, and reduced dependence on white-collar jobs.
He also highlighted the exemplary performance of corps members in national assignments such as awareness campaigns, elections, population census, free healthcare services, educational development, disaster response, and rural development, among others.
According to him, “The dedication, discipline, and patriotism demonstrated by corps members and staff have continued to earn the trust and admiration of Nigerians”.
Nafiu also paid tribute to past Directors-General, staff, and corps members who died in active service, adding that their sacrifices would remain honoured and remembered.
In his remarks, the Minister of Youth Development, Comrade Ayodele Olawande, described the NYSC as Nigeria’s most respected national youth institution since its establishment in 1973.
He described the Scheme as a national symbol of sacrifice, patriotism, unity, and national integration.
According to him, the NYSC has continued to bridge ethnic and religious divides by bringing young Nigerians together in service, thereby making a tremendous impact on the nation.
“It is where friendships are formed across ethnic and religious lines,” the minister said.
Olawande commended corps members for serving in schools, hospitals, farms, rural communities, and public institutions across the country over the past five decades.
“For over five decades, corps members have served in different places and across all local governments. They have served in schools, hospitals, rural communities, farms, constitutional institutions, and even the private sector across the country,” he said.
He called on governors and sub-national governments to support the Scheme through stronger collaboration, improved welfare packages, and meaningful engagement of corps members serving in their states.
The Minister further stressed that the future of Nigeria’s youth development agenda could not be achieved without the NYSC.
He pledged continued collaboration to expand opportunities for young Nigerians through entrepreneurship, digital innovation, and economic empowerment initiatives.
Olawande also commended the NYSC management for sustaining reforms despite prevailing national challenges.
He expressed optimism that the Scheme would continue to grow stronger and remain focused on national service and unity.
“Your dedication is evident. The ideas are impactful. The unity we are building and the development reforms are highly commendable,” he added.
The 53rd Anniversary Lecture was delivered by Professor Okpe O. Okpe of the Federal University of Lafia, Nasarawa State.
