4.7m participated in NYSC since inception — DG

About 4.7 million Nigerian graduates have so far participated in the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) scheme since its inception in 1973, the Director General (DG) of the scheme, BrigadierGeneral Shuaibu Ibrahim has said.

Brig. Gen Ibrahim disclosed while giving the scheme’s scorecard in a media parley in Abuja yesterday.

The scheme has achieved so much in fostering unity and contributing to national development over the years, the NYSC DG told journalists.

According to him, the educational development of the country has also been positively impacted by the presence of corps members as teachers in schools across the country.

“Since inception, 4,664,804 Nigerians have participated in the NYSC scheme. The scheme has done a lot to foster unity and integration through the policy of posting of corps members to other states than their state of origin.

“Educational development of the country has been positively impacted through the posting of corps members to schools.

“The level of literary has also been improved among the populace through the activities of the corps Mass Literary Group which has the mandate of reducing illiteracy, especially among adult non formal level to the barest minimum,’’ he said.

He also said that the NYSC has also contributed to strengthening healthcare delivery through posting of corps members to public hospitals as paramedics.

He added that over one million corps members have also benefited from the scheme’s Skills Acquisition and Entrepreneurship Development (SAED).

Ibrahim said the NYSC was determined to strengthen relationship with the media to maintain its positive visibility.

He has also vowed that no unqualified graduate and Nigerian will be mobilised to partake in the one year youth service scheme during his tenure.

He said the deployment of ICT solutions in the scheme’s mobilisations process and existing collaboration with the West African Examination Council (WAEC) and Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) have enhanced the integrity of the process and reduced the incidences of fake corps members.

On the minimum wage increment for corps members, he said the process was ongoing and would be communicated to the public as soon as it was done.

Mrs Adenike Adeyemi, NYSC’s Director of Press and Public Relations, said the NYSC had become a household name due to its relationship with the media.