NYSC Lauds CLTC’s Role in Youth Empowerment

The Director General of the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC), Brigadier General Olakunle Nafiu, has applauded the Citizenship and Leadership Training Centre (CLTC) for its role in preparing Nigerian youths to become effective leaders.

He gave the commendation while delivering a goodwill message at a youth conference organised by the CLTC in commemoration of Nigeria’s 65th Independence Anniversary, held in Abuja.

General Nafiu disclosed that the CLTC has been a longstanding partner of the NYSC in grooming young graduates by instilling in them values such as unity, patriotism, selflessness, and commitment to duty.

While acknowledging the CLTC, alongside other institutions like the Nigerian Army, National Drug Law Enforcement Agency, and Independent National Electoral Commission, among others, as key stakeholders in the gains recorded by the NYSC over the last 52 years, he appealed for the sustenance of the bilateral relationship to mould more purposeful youths that would take the nation to greater heights.

The NYSC boss said that the theme of the conference, “Reviving Values and Volunteerism among the Youth”, aligns with what the NYSC has been doing for over five decades. He re-echoed this assertion by saying that the Scheme has been able to inculcate the spirit of volunteerism in Corps Members through its Community Development Service (CDS) initiative, as a result of which they have contributed significantly to uplifting the living conditions of numerous people in their host communities across the country.

The Chief Executive Officer of Future Africa, Mr Iyinoluwa Aboyeji, who delivered the keynote address at the event, told participants that they needed to have four traits that could make any of them stand out and be recognised to be bestowed with the trust of leadership. He listed the four characteristics as being resolute, resourceful, relentless, and taking responsibility.

Earlier, in her welcome remarks, the Director General of the CLTC, Ms Rinsola Abiola, said that the essence of the conference was to awaken Nigerian youths to embrace national values and inspire them to see volunteerism as a way of life so that they could make a meaningful impact in society.

She added that the expected outcome of the conference would be a blueprint of steps that policy formulators could take to revive the values on which the nation was built.