The Director General of the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC), Brig. Gen. Dogara Ahmed, has expressed concerns over several challenges affecting the NYSC scheme. He stated that the mobilization of poor-quality graduates, racketeering in corps members’ relocation, inadequate facilities, and the submission of incorrect data on graduates are the challenges faced by the NYSC.
The NYSC DG said this while delivering a lecture titled: ‘Harnessing the Potential of the Nigerian Youths for National Unity and Development’ at the 5th convocation lecture of the Edo State University, Uzairue, on Friday the 5th of November, 2023.
Represented by the NYSC Director, South South Zone, Ladan Baba, the DG said the service mobilized an average of 350,000 corps members annually for the promotion of national unity and development.
According to him, despite the scheme’s numerous achievement, it still faces some challenges such as ‘ inadequacy of orientation camp facilities; poor infrastructure, submission of wrong data of graduates, poor quality graduates being presented for mobilization and deployment as well as corps members relocation racketeering among others.‘
He however called on the state governments to live up to their statutory responsibilities to the scheme in the provision, maintenance and upgrading of camp facilities in their domains.
He went on to say that the NYSC had contributed to the development of education with corp members serving as teachers in primary, secondary and tertiary institutions, noting that they constituted the major manpower especially in the rural communities.
He further added that the corp members were also involved in the areas of health sector, agriculture, NYSC ventures, general elections, national census, skill acquisition and entrepreneurship developments.
The DG also stated that the scheme was established as a deliberate public policy to ensure the realization of the government post-war strategy of Reconciliation, Reconstruction and Rehabilitation (RRR).
He then concluded by stating that the objectives of the scheme were to inculcate in Nigeria youths discipline, tradition of industry at work, patriotic and loyal service to Nigeria in any situation they might find themselves.
