A strategic report by the Nigeria Good Governance Group in the appraisal of the activities of the National Youth Service Corps under the present leadership structure led by Brigadier General Shuaibu Ibrahim has rated the Director General high in his piloting of the affairs of the corps.
Good Governance Group in a report released by its coordinator, Dr Thomas Uzah, which will be presented on Tuesday, noted that the NYSC, which is a programme set up by the Nigerian government to involve Nigerian graduates in nation-building and the country’s development on 22 May 1973. Was also aimed to be avenue for the reconciliation, reconstruction and rebuilding of the nation after the civil war through the proper encouragement and development of common ties among the youths of Nigeria and the promotion of national unity.
The Nigeria Good Governance Group, which is a coalition of 20 CSOs expressed its fulfilment the corps mandate of monitoring accountability and transparency in governance, undertook a strategic assessment of the NYSC under the present administration with a view highlighting the progress recorded in the years under review with regards to promoting national unity amongst the youths in the country.
“This assessment report was subjected to layers of scrutiny and verification to bring about a high level of objectivity and the actual state of affairs with the operations of the Scheme in the years under review (2019-date).
It relied on first-hand information sourced from credible sources through interviews with relevant stakeholders that includes but not limited to both serving and past corps members, community leaders, religious institutions, and parents and guardians.
“The report scrutinized the impact of the NYSC on national development. It was discovered that the NYSC under the present leadership has been relentless in inculcating the corps members the spirit of unity through a strict posting policy that ensures that corps members are posted to localities where they haven’t been to before in their lives with a view to under the culture and the way of life of other Nigerians.
“This much saw to a posting policy that is devoid of favouritism and preferential treatment, which was the norm and almost marred the smooth operations of the Scheme. It was observed that the posting policy indeed ensured that corps members contributed positively in their places of primary assignment across the country. This can be seen in the NYSC Foundation activities that are set to launch the new Youth Empowerment initiatives to avail serving and ex-Corps Members the opportunity to utilize their talents and harness their potentials in promoting the socio-economic development of the country.”
The report also emphasised that the NYSC leadership placed a premium on building entrepreneurship amongst corps members by developing entrepreneurship skills amongst corps members, citing the NYSC partnership with Leventis Foundation on agric training for corps members as part of its commitment to ensuring that Corps Members are fully empowered with relevant skills and other incentives that would reduce graduate unemployment and increase food sufficiency in the country.
