The NYSC Scheme As A Tool For All Round Positive Development

 

There is need to encourage Nigerian youths to actively participate in national integration and development, rather than be passive beneficiaries of the process of change in society. 

It is against this laxity that the NYSC scheme sends teaming Nigeria graduates from various institutions within the country to serve their father land for the period of one year in states other than their states and regions of origin.

 Many people see these youths in their uniform without clear knowledge of who they are or what they stand for. Some doubt the wisdom in continuation of NYSC and complain that funding of this scheme is a colossal waste.

It is in realization of the above arguments that we need to crystalize the reasons behind the inauguration of NYSC scheme, to find out her achievements and contribution to all round positive development.

 This points have been drawn from my personal experiences together with insightful discussions with fellow corps members, officials and people who have been positively affected.       

There are myriads of advantages of the NYSC scheme as a tool for positive development.

Rural Development:

I will always use the example of the scheme as being an avenue to move young youths to different parts of the nation. The experience gotten from this exposure to different cultures cannot be trivialized; this sets them up for the labour market ahead which majorly depends on people-skills. This skill cannot just be studied, (at least in-depth) in a conventional university system or read in a book.

Relating to community development, the scheme has exposed corps members to different communities where they can contribute their quota for the national growth. 

 Corps Members become ambassadors by living a lifestyle worthy of emulation. Children in rural areas can be exposed to greater value systems and ways of life by corps members who are educated and exposed. Herein lies the mystery behind the popular statement, ‘When light shines in darkness, the darkness cannot comprehend it’. This law of nature is applicable here. 

Young children in rural schools can use corps members exposed to higher levels of education and positive lifestyles as a ‘template’ for their lives; these corps members literally become mind control systems personified.    

Business Acumen:

The NYSC scheme has provided a platform for youths who are interested in growing their skills and business acumen to do so through the SAED (Skills Acquisition and Entrepreneurship Development) program. 

The program held at the orientation camp which can be continued outside camp gives corps members an opportunity to be exposed to skills where they can thrive for free at first, to help build conviction relating to their area if interest.

 Corps members can then go ahead to improve on these skills at a much subsidized rate outside camp.

Haven been a beneficiary of the SAED programme, apart from learning and improving my programming and IT skills on camp, I was involved in the NYSC SAED Lion’s Den competition sponsored by Access Bank. 

The sponsors trained 30 corps members (3 from each platoon) to writing business plans for effective business management. And the trainees were all required to write and defend their business plans for the grand prize of 1 million naira (3 million total prize money for the top 10 winners). 

I was privileged to partake in this competition and emerge as the winner. This and more trainings /competitions happened in camp, exposing corps members to opportunities for grants, free and subsidized trainings throughout their service year.    

Moral Development: 

Serving in a different location from where you were raised like I did will definitely help one’s moral values for development.

 Understanding the dynamics of different cultures in different regions of the nation cannot be trivialized; as I will always say, these are not things one can just read in a book. 

Experience and exposure to these areas are paramount for this development. For example, an argument came up during one of our CDS meetings where we shared ideas relating to how greetings should be administered.

 An elderly person in some tribes coming home from a day out will have to greet everyone he/she meets in the house, even if they were all his junior. But in the Yoruba land for instance, this isn’t so, respect has to be acknowledged first to the elderly.

Sustaining the intelligence to adapt to this different ways of life, whilst keeping your conviction and values is the true definition of moral development.

 The Merriam-Webster definition of moral entails ethics concerning what is right or wrong in human behavior. And if we look through the lens of our culture to judge others, they might be wrong in our eyes. Youths need this flexibility as they grow in life and career. This adaptability is key for youths in this ever changing world of growth and diversity.

These points encompass all the areas in which the NYSC scheme has contributed to all round positive development. It is however important for corps members and prospective corps members to build themselves up through personal development as they are the main vessels or recipients of this positive growth.

I will end will selected lines from the NYSC Anthem.

“Let us lift our nation high…, with dedication and selflessness…” 

“…Nigeria’s ours, Nigeria we serve.” 

Emmanuel Agbo

OS/20B/1981

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