The Secretary to the Bayelsa State Government, Alabo Gideon Ekeuwei, has declared the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) as the most vibrant and best youth program in Africa, over the last 50 years. According to him, despite the various challenges the program has encountered over the years, it has outlived every other youth scheme initiated in Nigeria and the entire continent of Africa.
During the NYSC @ 50 Anniversary lecture held at the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ) Secretariat in Yenagoa, Bayelsa State, Ekeuwei, who is also the Chairman of NYSC State Governing Board, emphasized that the NYSC is a vital factor for national development and integration. He noted that the corps members, who are the major elements in the youth scheme, have become an indispensable factor in the areas of education, healthcare, agriculture, infrastructure and as they carry out their primary and secondary assignments.
The State Coordinator, Mrs Okpalifo Obiageli Charity, on behalf of the Director General, Brig Gen YD Ahmed, welcomed attendees to the event, saying that it was one of the national programs scheduled to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the Service Corps. She noted that this year’s theme, “NYSC @ 50: Five Decades of Fostering National Unity and Development,” was apt, given the significant contribution of the NYSC to Nigeria.
The guest lecturer, Dr Anderson Nikade, a former staff of the service who is currently a lecturer with the Niger Delta University, Amassoma, lauded the NYSC management for consistently initiating policies designed to enhance the attainment of the core objectives of the program, which includes promoting self-reliance, patriotism, brotherhood, and a shared sense of corporate existence among Nigerians.
The event was punctuated by the presentation of awards to distinguished personalities who have contributed significantly to the NYSC program over the years.
