The positive results generated from NYSC cannot be matched if the resources channeled towards the scheme is being diverted to another scheme

 Nigeria, like most nation-states in post-colonial Africa, is in dire need of unity, cohesion and national integration. This is largely because of the arbitrary demarcation of boundaries that divided people of the same history and descent while forcefully uniting them with people of different historical and socio-cultural affinities as a country. And to confront this degeneration in our already fractured federation , the then Head of State, General Yakubu Gowoni in 1973 – three years after the civil war – decided to establish the NYSC in order to foster and promote national unity and integration, reconcile and rebuild the nation. 

It can therefore be said that the shaky foundation of our unity, coupled with the unfortunate event of the civil war; with its attendant negative effects on our oneness as a nation, necessitated the establishment of the National Youth Service Corps by Decree No.24 of May 22, 1973, primarily with a view to encouraging and developing common ties among the youths of Nigeria. 

This now brings us to the purpose of this article "the positive results generated from NYSC can not be matched if the resources channeled towards the scheme is being diverted to another scheme" 

These positive impacts are evident in the level of friendship that has been cultivated across religious and cultural divides as a result of the platform provided by the NYSC scheme. It is to the unequalled credit of this Scheme that inter-marriages have been facilitated across the length and breadth of Nigeria. Today, many families in the East have in-laws from the North and families from the West have in-laws from the South and vice versa.

The contributions and achievements of the NYSC are also glaring in the area of community development projects. Many corps members have written their names indelibly in the hearts of many Nigerians in the communities where they have served by their positive impacts and selfless services. Many communities in Nigeria now have health facilities and other basic amenities, courtesy of the NYSC members who served in such places. Simply put, the Scheme has impacted positively on almost all facets of our national life and more on the corps members themselves who are usually launched into the next stage in life and equipped with the necessary experiences needed to excel in their chosen career paths.

It is pertinent at this juncture to commend the foresight and patriotic leadership of the former Head of State, Gen. Yakubu Gowon, who conceived and courageously established the Scheme as a major platform for unity and national integration. The focus on the youth who embody the future of our nation shows the futuristic character of the NYSC programme. Today, majority of Nigerians occupying various leadership positions are direct beneficiaries of the Scheme and are living witnesses to the unifying potency of the NYSC.

As such, this development rather calls for more funding and support to the Scheme to scale up their drive for national unity and integration. This is even compelling because even the core mandate of the Scheme is defined primarily to inculcate in Nigerian Youths the spirit of selfless service to the community, and to emphasise the spirit of oneness and brotherhood of all Nigerians, irrespective of cultural or social background. The history of our country since independence has clearly indicated the need for unity amongst all our people and demonstrated the fact that no cultural or geographical entity can exist in isolation. So there is a great need to channel more resources to NYSC scheme.

WRITTEN BY: Gabriel Ojochenemi Victoria

State code: OS/23A/3234