Nigerian Vice President, Professor Yemi Osinbajo has said there’s no doubt that since the National Youth Service Corps NYSC inception of 50 years ago, which was to reconstruct, reconcile and rebuild Nigeria after the Civil War, the Scheme continued to play significant role in actualizing the role of building an indivisible nation.
Osinbajo who made this known at the Opening Ceremony of the NYSC’s 50th Anniversary in Abuja on Monday, with the theme: “Five Decades of Fostering National Unity and Development” described the anniversary as the celebration of another NYSC’s unquantifiable contributions to Nation building.
According to him, “the scheme was conceived as a pivot of national unity and integration to accelerate process of national healing and rebirth after the unfortunate thirty months civil war, left in its wake, a divided nation yearning for unity characterized by mutual suspicion and distrust among the citizenry”.
Osinbajo who was able represented by the Minister of Power, noted that since its establishment 50 years ago, the story of NYSC has been that of growth, progress and expansion. “It has recorded numerous achievements, including the promotion of national unity.
“And integration as well as intervention in critical areas of our national economy such as education, agriculture, health, infrastructural development, science, technology, social and other economic sectors amongst others”, the VP added.
He commended the heroism of General Yakubu Gowon-led Federal Government that came up with the idea of establishing the National Youth Service Corps on 22nd May, 1973, which is specifically designed to harness the potentials of young, educated Nigerian graduates towards the task of National development.
Vice President Osinbajo hailed the scheme for focusing on mobilization of the graduate youths for national service, as well as ensuring their self- development recorded tremendous success, appreciated managers of the scheme for a job well done over the years.
He urged all Nigerians to support the programmes and activities of the Scheme especially on community and rural development while saluted the giant strides recorded by NYSC through its Community Development Projects which equally contributed greatly to improve the living standard of our rural dwellers.
In his address, the Minister of Youths and Sports Development, Mr Sunday Dare said, “the NYSC scheme has become a house hold name in the socio-economic development of Nigeria is not surprising because the Scheme, since inception 50 years ago, has kept faith with its objectives and mandate.
“Through its programmes, the Scheme has made invaluable impact in various aspects of national development, including providing health care to our rural communities, while its contributions to education and rural infrastructure are legendary.
The Minister noted that the scheme in the 50 years of its existence has become an institution to reckon with in youth empowerment, mobilization for national development. “I make bold to say that NYSC has quality and diligent personnel that could be rated among the best across the country”.
In thesame vein, Chairman, NYSC National Governing Board, Amb. Fatima Balla Abubakar who said the Scheme has succeeded in uniting the nation through mobilization of young graduates of diverse socio-cultural backgrounds, added that it has also contributed immensely towards fostering integration among the citizenry.
“This is evident in the numerous cross-regional and inter-cultural marriages that been consummated among Corps members as well as between them and other Nigerians, including members of their host communities, whom they met in the course of the service year”, she said.
Ambassador Abubakar wished to use this medium to passionately appeal to President Buhari to kindly assent to the bill establishing the National Youth Service Corps Trust Fund as his parting gift to Nigerian youth before his people-oriented administration comes to an end on the 29th of this month.
Earlier, in his welcome address, the NYSC Director General, Brigadier General YD Ahmed boldly said that the NYSC in 50 years, has effectively discharged its mandate, overcome operational challenges under several administrations to stand the test of time.
“This is better appreciated against the backdrop of the fact that some institutions that were established about the same time the NYSC birthed, or much after have gone under, being unable to weather the storms of existential threats”.
He appreciated Mr. President for all the support NYSC enjoys from this administration and equally registered his profound gratitude to all stakeholders, notably, three tiers of government, traditional institutions, security agencies, organised private sector, international organisations, among others for their uncommon commitment to the growth and development of the Scheme.
He said as the Scheme step on the threshold towards the attainment of its diamond jubilee, “we look forward to an improved working relationship with all the stakeholders in the years ahead”, the DG promised.
Many Dignitaries graced the occasion such as the former Chairman, Independent National Electoral Commission INEC, Professor Jega, who gave a resounding lecture, the Deputy Governor of Oyo State, and past Director General of the Scheme among others.
