Nigeria’s former Head of State, General Yakubu Gowon, has praised successive batches of National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) members for upholding the Scheme’s core values.
He made the commendation during a visit by the NYSC Director-General, Brigadier General Olakunle Nafiu, to his residence in Abuja.
Gowon, whose administration established the NYSC in 1973, highlighted the Corps Members’ contributions to urban and rural development, education and health sectors, elections, and other national programmes as worthy of recognition.
“Let me commend all the staff of the Scheme from inception to date. I say well done and thank you for ensuring that it records success,” he said.
The elder statesman expressed delight at the successes recorded by the NYSC over the decades and commended its managers for sustaining the vision of the Scheme’s founding fathers.
He explained that the NYSC was created out of a collective national desire to deploy human resources to address challenges in the aftermath of the civil war.
While noting that the Scheme’s deployment policy has led to inter-ethnic marriages and other societal benefits, Gowon stressed the need to make the initiative even more relevant in light of current realities.
He called for greater stakeholder support, emphasising that such backing would help promote entrepreneurial and self-employment opportunities for Corps Members in line with the objectives of the NYSC Act.
Earlier, DG Nafiu expressed gratitude to the former Head of State for his consistent guidance and support, assuring that the entire NYSC staff remains committed to sustaining its successes and breaking new ground in its post-golden jubilee era.
