NYSC at 50: President Buhari Advocates for Sustenance
President Muhammadu Buhari, in the spirit of the celebrations of the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) at 50, has pushed for the sustainability of the scheme.
The National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) was established in 1973 by former Head of State, Gen. Yakubu Gowon (Rtd) to bring all Nigerian youths together as one after the completion of a degree in any tertiary institution in Nigeria.
Buhari, on behalf of the Government and people of Nigeria, credited the effort of Gen. Yakubu Gowon (Rtd), for the wisdom of setting up the NYSC; stating that the scheme has truly achieved the goal of national integration, by providing opportunities for cross-cultural interactions and establishing a bridge for improved understanding.
This was contained in a statement by his media aide, Femi Adesina, on Friday, as he congratulated the former Head of State, and all Directors-General of the Corps, past and present, for inspiring and sustaining a 50-year legacy that has strengthened a web of solidarity, ignited loyalty to the nation, broadened the horizon of citizens, promoted civic responsiveness, created a better understanding of various individual and ethnic identities, their diversities and underscored the bottom-line of the common values of fairness, justice, peace, and unity.
He also believed the NYSC remains one of the strongest ideals of nation-building, institutionally encouraging inter-cultural and inter-religious marriages, resettling of people of various tribes in different parts of the country, exploration of entrepreneurship and business opportunities in places, removing insularity among citizens, and enabling a new culture of oneness, brotherliness, and neighborliness.
As the nation celebrates the 50th anniversary of the NYSC, President Buhari affirmed that the scheme must be sustained, with a constant reminder of the history, structure, and purpose, that should not be abused, trivialized, or undermined for any reason, by keeping a focus on the larger picture that Nigeria’s unity is a process and a collective responsibility that must not be negotiated.
Buhari, while wishing potential corps members all the best as they move to different parts of the country, to share and explore new experiences of the diversity of Nigeria, shared the joyous season of the milestone with all those that have enjoyed the adventures of the scheme, and have been sharing memories and pictures with nostalgia.
He recalled that one of the joys and highlights of his administration has been the annual ritual of receiving corps members in his country home in Daura, Katsina State, during Eid-el-Fitr Sallah, and the conversations that follow in getting to know their various states, languages, family trees and educational institutions, and asking about their welfare, noting that two visiting Presidents from Niger Republic and Guinea Bissau participated and enjoyed such interactions.
The President, moreover, thanked the Nigerian Army, the Directors General of the NYSC, and various private and public institutions for providing the enabling environment for the success of the scheme.
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