By Saheed Afolabi
The Minister of Youth and Sport, Sunday Dare says the National Youth Service Corps(NYSC) scheme has kept faith with its objectives and mandate and therefore sustained its relevance in the country’s development.
Speaking at the opening ceremony of the 50th anniversary of the scheme in Abuja on Monday, the Minister also described it as the leading youth organisation in Africa, celebrating the ingenuity of the leaders who bequeathed the programme to Nigeria and those whose unwavering commitment have led to its sustenance.
According to him, “the hindsight of past Presidents and Heads of States has nurtured this scheme despite the odds that have threatened its existence.”
The Youth Minister applauded President Muhammadu Buhari for his contributions to the NYSC and thanked him for the privilege to serve as the Minister of Youth and Sports Development at this time that scheme is marking its golden jubilee.
Dare challenged the leadership of the programme to see the 50th anniversary celebrations as a veritable opportunity to evolve strategies to strengthen the scheme, make it more sustainable, broaden its scope of operations to enhance its contributions to national development.
In his words, “since inception 50 years ago, the NYSC has kept faith with its objectives and mandate. It has made invaluable impact in various aspects of national development, including providing healthcare to rural communities and also made legendary contributions to education and rural infrastructure.
“There have been acts of resourcefulness and benevolence, and the nation witnessed remarkable ingenuity from Youth Corps members during the COVID 19 pandemic and before then during the Ebola virus and HIV/AIDS pandemic.
“Indeed the NYSC in the 50 years of existence has become an institution to reckon with in youth empowerment and mobilisation for national development.”
The NYSC 50th anniversary opening ceremony was graced by the Vice President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, Professor Yemi Osinbajo, Ambassador Fatima Balla Abubakar, the chairman of the NYSC governing board and the Director General, Brigadier General YD Ahmed among others.
Professor Attahiru Jega was the guest speaker at the event.
