Two million graduates passed through NYSC since inception – Official

The scheme started with 2,364 graduates in 1973.
No fewer than two million Nigerian graduates have
passed through the National Youth Service Corps,
NYSC, since its inception in 1973, an Assistant
Director, Muhammad Momoh, has said.
Mr. Momoh made this known when participants
from Zimbabwe National Defence College visited
the NYSC Headquarters in Abuja on Friday.
He said the scheme started with 2,364 graduates
in 1973, adding that now over 250, 000 graduates
passed through the scheme each year for the
national service.
The assistant director, who is in charge of Special
Projects, said the scheme's objectives were to
develop common ties among the Nigerian youths
and promote national unity and integration.
"It was also to enable Nigerian youth acquire the
spirit of self-reliance by encouraging them to
develop skills for self-employment and to work as
a team to have a virile nation,'' he said.
Mr. Momoh said the programme of the scheme,
include orientation courses, primary assignment,
community development service and passing out.
"The service year focus primarily on four sectors
which are Agriculture, Education, Health and
Infrastructure in line with the present
administration to develop the host community with
their contributions,'' he said.
He said the corps members had been supporting
all other sectors, including participating in electoral
activities, national census, among others.
"We are into collaborations with agencies like
Energy Commission on renewable energy, NEMA in
disaster management and control, EFCC, ICPC,
MDG and Bank of Industry for corps members to
secure loan.''
He said the scheme had helped The Gambia to
have an institution similar to NYSC and was trying
to replicate it in Sierra Leone.
"Our major challenge has been funding, but the
government and management are doing their best
to have the best,'' Mr. Momoh said.
Earlier, the Head of the delegation, Air Cdr. Michael
Moyo, said they were in Nigeria to learn and
improve upon their system back home.
Mr. Moyo, who is also the Commandant of the
College, commended the way they were received
in all the places they had visited.
"I am impressed on the level of development in
Abuja," he said, and commended the way Nigeria
was able to contain its internal strife.
In his response, the NYSC Director-General, Maj.-
Gen. Johnson Olawumi, said the scheme had
achieved a lot within its 40 years in existence,
saying: "it has also achieve a lot in national
development.''
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