NYSC has consistently fulfilled national unity mandate for 53 years – D-G

The Director-General of the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC), Brig.-Gen. Olakunle Nafiu, says the scheme has consistently fulfilled its mandate of promoting national unity and integration for 53 years.

He said this during the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) Forum in Abuja on Wednesday.

He said the NYSC was established on May 22, 1973 by the administration of former Head of State, Retired Gen. Yakubu Gowon, following the Nigerian civil war.

He added that the scheme was created to foster reconciliation, reintegrate the country and promote cultural understanding among Nigerians after years of conflict.

Nafiu said fostering national unity remained the core objective of the scheme since its establishment in 1973.

He said “for 53 years, NYSC has consistently continued to fulfil the mission assigned to it by the Federal Government.

“The country was fragmented after the civil war and the leadership at the time thought it wise to use NYSC to reunite Nigerians.”

He noted that the scheme had significantly strengthened social cohesion through intercultural interactions, friendships, marriages and professional relationships among corps members nationwide.

“Today, the cohesion we have in Nigerian society is stronger than it was in 1973 or in the early years of the scheme,” he said.

The director-general said many intercultural marriages recorded across the country today were products of relationships formed during the national service year.

He recalled that some Nigerians posted outside their states of origin eventually settled permanently and contributed meaningfully to their host communities.

Nafiu added that many political alliances and professional networks across Nigeria also originated from relationships built during the NYSC programme.

“Most of the political alliances people are benefiting from today actually started during their service year,” he said.

He urged corps members to build friendships beyond their ethnic and regional backgrounds to strengthen national integration and broaden future opportunities.

Nafiu said the relevance of the NYSC remained evident because Nigeria still required stronger unity, cohesion and national integration.

“When corps members restrict themselves only to people from their geopolitical zones, they are limiting their future possibilities.

“If the answer to whether Nigeria is fully united is no, then NYSC is still relevant and even more relevant today than in 1973,” he said.

He noted that the scheme had continued to evolve over the years in response to changes in governance, technology and generational realities.

According to him, the NYSC has embraced digital technology to improve registration, mobilisation, record keeping and communication processes.

“When NYSC started, call-up letters were published in newspapers and communication depended largely on postal services,” he said.

He explained that most operations of the scheme were now technology-driven, including electronic call-up systems, online dashboards and digital identity cards for corps members.

“Today, corps members can access their information online and even use electronic identity cards through their mobile phones,” he said.

He added that payment processes had also improved as corps members now received allowances directly through their bank accounts without physical queues.

Our correspondent reports that the NYSC, established in 1973, is a one-year mandatory national service scheme for Nigerian graduates aimed at promoting national unity, integration and development through service in different parts of the country.