Koko Maxwella 
Permanent Secretary, ministry of Youth Development, Dr. Maryam Isma’il Keshinro, and Director General, NYSC, Brig. Gen. Olakunle Nafiu
ABUJA, Nigeria – The Federal Ministry of Youth Development moves to strengthen the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) by seeking partnerships with international organisations to expand the Scheme’s impact across Nigeria.
The Permanent Secretary of the ministry, Dr Maryam Isma’il Keshinro, makes the pledge during a familiarisation visit to the NYSC National Directorate Headquarters in Abuja, according to a statement issued on Monday.
Keshinro says global partnerships, alongside increased funding, improved staffing and upgraded infrastructure, are critical to enhancing the efficiency and service delivery of the Scheme as its responsibilities continue to expand. “The NYSC plays a vital role in nation-building, and sustained investment is essential if it must meet present and future demands,” she says.
She commends successive NYSC leaderships for mentoring Corps Members in leadership, discipline and entrepreneurship, noting that the Scheme’s skills acquisition and entrepreneurship development programmes have produced many successful young business owners across the country.
Recalling her own national service experience in Abia State in 1997, Keshinro praises Corps Members for promoting national unity and integration. She also calls for stronger collaboration with stakeholders and increased patronage of NYSC commercial ventures, including bottled water, bread production and poultry farming.
“I am proud of what you are doing. Thank you for working as a family. We are working for Nigeria, and I look forward to a robust working relationship,” she says.
Responding, the Director General of NYSC, Brigadier General Olakunle Nafiu, congratulates Keshinro on her appointment and assures her of the Scheme’s readiness to deepen collaboration with the ministry.
Nafiu discloses that NYSC currently mobilises about 400,000 Corps Members annually, with projections rising to 650,000 by 2026, while reaffirming management’s commitment to improving security and welfare for Corps Members and staff.
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