The National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) has reaffirmed its commitment to institutional reforms aimed at enhancing service delivery and aligning the Scheme’s operations with contemporary realities.
The Director-General (DG) of the NYSC, Brigadier General Olakunle Nafiu, stated this at the opening ceremony of the 2026 Annual Management Conference (AMC) of the Scheme, themed “NYSC as a Catalyst for National Development: Tackling Present Challenges and Charting Sustainable Solutions,” held in Jos, the Plateau State capital.
While acknowledging the sustained efforts of the Federal Government to strengthen the NYSC, the DG reminded the Scheme’s managers that Nigerians expected the best from the organisation.
He urged them to sustain the confidence of the government, Corps Members, their parents, and other stakeholders in the Scheme’s capacity to deliver on its mandate.
“Our internal review of the past year has clearly shown that we must continue to embrace change and ensure sustainable growth.
“Having matured, the Scheme is now positioned to move beyond symbolic nation-building towards more direct and measurable contributions to national development,” he said.
Declaring the conference open, Plateau State Governor, Caleb Muftwang, commended NYSC managers for sustaining the vision of the Scheme’s founding fathers, noting that since its establishment in 1973, the NYSC had evolved to play strategic roles in the nation’s developmental journey.
Governor Muftwang, who was represented by his Deputy, Mrs. Josephine Piyo, lauded the Scheme’s contributions to national unity and socio-economic development, particularly in education, healthcare delivery, rural infrastructure development, sports, and the empowerment of Corps Members for self-employment through the Skill Acquisition and Entrepreneurship Development (SAED) programme, among others.
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“l, therefore, use this opportunity to urge the NYSC Management not to rest on its oars as there still remains a lot to be done in the provision of relevant skills to the Corps Members.
“Let me appeal to stakeholders at all levels to join hands with the NYSC in this great match towards sustainable youth empowerment,” he said.
Renovation of Facilities
The Governor disclosed that his administration had commenced the renovation of facilities at the NYSC Permanent Orientation Camp in Mangu, in addition to releasing several hectares of land for agricultural purposes to support the Scheme’s contribution to national efforts aimed at ensuring food sufficiency.
The Minister of Youth Development, Comrade Ayodele Olawande, commended the management and staff of the NYSC for their dedication to youth development, saying that Nigeria had recorded significant achievements through various interventions implemented by the Scheme.
“Let the NYSC Managers share experiences, introduce fresh ideas that will improve the impact of the NYSC, and take the advantage of technical effectiveness to improve service delivery,” he said.
The Director, Planning, Research and Statistics, of the scheme, Mr. Nura Umar, described the conference as a veritable platform for NYSC managers to review the activities of the Scheme, assess its performance, identify gaps and challenges, and collectively proffer sustainable solutions for improved operations.