The Director-General of the National Youth Service Corps, Brigadier General Olakunle Nafiu, has revealed that the Scheme provides services worth more than N14 billion every year to Lagos State and its residents.
Nafiu explained that these services are rendered through the 44,000 corps members posted across the state in different sectors. He disclosed this during a courtesy visit to Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu at the Lagos State Government House, Marina, on Friday.
In a statement issued by the NYSC’s Director of Information and Public Relations, Caroline Embu, the DG noted: “The Director-General of the National Youth Service Corps, Brigadier General Olakunle Nafiu, has disclosed that NYSC provides services for the government and people of Lagos State worth over 14 billion naira annually.
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“General Nafiu was quantifying, in minimum monetary value, the contributions of the over 44,000 Corps Members deployed to the length and breadth of the State in various capacities, including 333 medical doctors, 306 pharmacists, 274 nurses, and 7,188 teachers.
Nafiu further described Lagos as the leading choice for corps members, adding that parents also prefer it because of the state’s relative safety.
The DG commended Governor Sanwo-Olu for renovating the temporary orientation camp in Iyana-Ipaja and noted the ongoing construction of the 10,000-capacity permanent camp. He stressed that the completion of the facility would allow corps members to be accommodated in one location rather than being distributed to nearby states.
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He also appealed to the state government to provide an ambulance for the NYSC Secretariat in Lagos while maintaining other areas of support.
“The DG requested that the secretariat be provided with an ambulance and urged him to sustain the other areas of support for the Scheme, which he said gave much-needed operational support to the State formation.
“General Nafiu also congratulated the Governor on the remodelled National Theatre, noting that it was a national monument of repute,” the statement added.
The NYSC was established in 1973 by then Head of State, General Yakubu Gowon, as part of efforts to foster national unity after the civil war. Since then, participation in the one-year programme has become compulsory for Nigerian graduates, involving orientation, primary assignment, community development service, and the passing-out ceremony.
