Tunde Bakare
The National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) has reaffirmed its commitment to reforms for enhanced service delivery and alignment of its operations with current realities.
The Director-General (DG), of the Scheme, Brigadier General Olakunle Nafiu, stated this at the opening ceremony of the 2026 Annual Management Conference (AMC) of the Scheme, which took place in Jos, the Plateau State Capital, with the theme; “NYSC as a Catalyst For National Development; Tackling Present Challenges and Charting Sustainable Solutions”.
While acknowledging the continued efforts of the Federal Government to improve the NYSC, he reminded the Scheme’s managers that Nigeria expected the best from it, adding that they should sustain the confidence of the government, Corps Members, their parents and other stakeholders in its ability to deliver.
He said: “Our internal review of the past year has clearly shown that we must continue to embrace change and ensure sustainable growth.
“Having matured, the Scheme is now positioned to move beyond symbolic nation-building towards more direct and measurable contributions to national development.”
Declaring the conference opened, the Plateau State Governor, Barrister Caleb Muftwang, commended the NYSC Managers for sustaining the vision of its founding fathers, adding that since the Scheme was established in 1973, it had grown to perform strategic roles in the nation’s stride towards development.
Muftwang, who was represented by his Deputy, Josephine Piyo, lauded the contributions of the Scheme to national unity and socio-economic development, especially in the areas of education, health, rural infrastructural development, sports as well as empowerment of Corps members for self-employment through the Skill Acquisition and Entrepreneurship (SAED) programme, amongst others.
“l, therefore, use this opportunity to urge the NYSC Management not to rest on its oars as there still remains a lot to be done in the provision of relevant skills to the Corps Members.
“Let me appeal to stakeholders at all levels to join hands with the NYSC in this great match towards sustainable youth empowerment,” he said.
The Governor said his administration had commenced the renovation of facilities at the NYSC Permanent Orientation Camp in Mangu in addition to the release of several hectares of land for agricultural purposes to facilitate the Scheme’s contribution to the national efforts at ensuring sufficiency in food production.
In his Goodwill message, the Minister of Youth Development, Comrade Ayodele Olawande, commended the Management and Staff of the NYSC for their commitment to youth development, adding that Nigeria had recorded many achievements through various interventions from the Scheme.
“Let the NYSC Managers share experiences, introduce fresh ideas that will improve the impact of the NYSC, and take the advantage of technical effectiveness to improve service delivery,” he said.
In his address, the Director, Planning, Research and Statistics, Mr. Nura Umar, said the conference was a veritable platform for NYSC Managers to review the activities of the Scheme, assess its performances, identify gaps and challenges, and collectively proffer sustainable solutions for improved operations.