The Director-General of the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC), Brig Gen Yushau Dogara Ahmed, has stated that several agencies created during the same period as the NYSC have failed to survive.
Brig Gen Ahmed made this known while addressing attendees at the event organised in Abuja on Monday to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the NYSC. He explained that over the past five decades, the scheme has developed into a unifying force for the country and a catalyst for progress.
The Director-General stated that the NYSC has significantly contributed to national development by mobilising graduate youths to make positive impacts across various sectors of the nation’s life, such as education, healthcare, infrastructure, advocacy, and national duties.
He said: “In 50 years, the NYSC has effectively discharged its mandate and 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 was birthed, or much after, have gone under, being unable to weather the storms of existential threats.”
He added that some African countries have visited the NYSC on a study tour to learn more about the scheme and to establish similar programs in their own nations.
The event was held to commemorate the history and successes of the NYSC and its role in promoting national unity and cohesion.
