Asaba: Marking 53 years of service, the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) has left its imprint across Nigeria’s economy, education, health, and beyond. Mrs Obiageri Okpalifo, Director of the South-South Area Office, said the scheme continues to foster national unity while spearheading community development programmes that touch every sector.
Okpalifo said this on Friday during the celebration of the scheme’s 53rd anniversary.
Okpalifo said that over the years, NYSC had helped in many areas. It partnered with government agencies to implement their programmes and sensitised rural communities about these initiatives.
Let’s take, for instance, the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), which partners with various agencies to promote what is called financial inclusion.
“They reached out to NYSC to go to various communities.
We use corps members to move between rural communities. They teach people who do not know how to use their phone, whether for transfers or business transactions. As a result, the scheme has helped fulfil the CBN’s programme.
He said the scheme had continued to play a significant role in the social and economic development of communities across the country.
Mr John Kwaghe, State Coordinator, NYSC, said that the objective of NYSC was to unite Nigerians, impact lives and help the economy grow.
“Without NYSC, there will not be teachers in a lot of schools; without NYSC, there will not be doctors, so the impact of NYSC is felt even in our individual homes and communities.
“Building bridges, uniting communities, those things that have made us deny ourselves in the past, the scheme has served as a uniting force.
“Also, marriages have been built because of this scheme.
“If not for NYSC, I would not have been in Delta. It is part of the beauty of the scheme, and all of us should appreciate it,” he said.
