The Director-General (DG) of the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC), Brigadier General Olakunle Nafiu, has urged Corps Members to appreciate the cultural values of their host communities.
He also enjoined them to use the opportunity of the service year to learn more about Nigeria’s natural endowments, and explore the values inherent in them.
Nafiu gave the charge during his visit to the 2025 Batch ‘C’ Corps Members at the NYSC Permanent Orientation Camp in Wamakko, Sokoto State.
“You are guests here; therefore, you must respect your hosts. Do not look down on their culture and, please, try and understand why they do certain things,” he counseled.
Nafiu encouraged them to build friendship across ethnic and geographical lines, stressing that such would serve as foundation for successful business collaborations in future in addition to strengthening national unity.
“If you are from the South West and the only friends you make are from the South West, you have wasted this opportunity,” he said.
He advised them to leverage the country’s regional economic strengths, noting that understanding what different zones produced would create natural opportunities for inter-regional trade.
The DG warned the Corps Members against the use of the social media for divisive narratives, stressing that they should rely only on genuine sources of information that would promote national unity and integration.
He also advised them to acquire vocational and entrepreneurial skills while also ensuring prudent financial management to enhance their chances of self-employment and financial freedom.
Earlier, the NYSC Sokoto State Coordinator, Alhaji Usman Yaro, informed the DG that the State had registered 1,299 Corps Members comprising 762 males and 537 females, all of whom were being carried along in the Camp administration.
In another development, the DG charged Corps Members on teaching assignment to contribute towards improving quality of education in their service locations.
While speaking during his visit to the 2025 Batch ‘C’ Corps Members deployed to Kebbi State at Temporary Orientation Camp in Basaura, Jega Local Government Area.
In a statement released by the Scheme the General urged them to review the academic performance of their schools and set ambitious improvement targets.
“Check how well the school has performed in Mathematics, English and the sciences.
“If you see that consistently, the pass mark for English has been say 30%, challenge yourself: try and take it up to 60 or 70%. That should be your pride,” he said.
He called on them to build friendship across ethnic and geo-political lines, stressing that such networks would serve as the foundation for future success of the country.Nafiu enjoined the Corps Members to embrace the Skills Acquisition and Entrepreneurship Development (SAED) programme of the Scheme, adding: “Your one year should give you two returns: Certificate of National Service and a marketable skill.”
He further encouraged them to explore cross-regional trade networks in their strides towards self-employment and wealth creation, noting that some of the successful players in the private sector today started when they were Corps Members.
The DG told them that the NYSC was in partnership with the Bank of Industry, NNPC, Kudimata, Wema Bank, and Access Bank, amongst others with a view to providing grants and loans to enable Corps entrepreneurs to actualize their business plans.
Earlier in his address, the NYSC State Coordinator, Alhaji Bala Dabo, informed the DG that the Orientation Camp, though temporary, had been equipped with facilities for smooth operations. He added that 567 Corps Members were registered for the Orientation Course.
