President Bola Tinubu has directed the immediate employment
of 200 National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) honourees into the federal civil
service.
He also awarded each of them N250,000 and a scholarship to
pursue postgraduate studies at any Nigerian university.
The president, represented by Nkeiruka Onyejeocha, minister
of state for labour and employment, made the announcement in Abuja on Tuesday
during the combined President’s NYSC honours award ceremony (2020–2023).
Tinubu noted that the gesture was in recognition of the
awardees’ “discipline, commitment, selflessness, teamwork, patriotism, and
integrity”.
“The head of the civil service of the federation and the
chairman of the federal civil service commission will immediately begin their
employment process,” he said.
The president also directed the employment of 10 physically
challenged former corps members who were injured during their service.
“We will never forget their sacrifice. All the awardees will
receive N250,000 each. Finally, each award recipient will be granted a
scholarship to pursue postgraduate programmes up to a degree in any university
in the country,” he said.
He reaffirmed his administration’s focus on youth
empowerment through education, technology, and job creation.
“In appreciation of these critical roles played by youth in
national development, and to put them in the foreground of our economy, the
government developed several youth-related programmes, covering education,
skills development, technology, and information sustainability,” he said.
Tinubu urged the youth to remain hopeful and loyal to
Nigeria, saying ” do not yield to those seeking to destabilise the nation”.
Ayodele Olawande, minister of youth development, praised the
president’s commitment to youth, noting that his presence at the event was a
testament to his “deep-rooted love for the nation’s young people”.
“Each outstanding honouree here today exemplifies the very
best of what our youth can achieve,” the minister said.
He said the recent increase in corps members’ allowance from
N33,000 to N77,000 was a response to economic realities.
“This decision reflects our recognition of the vital role
youth play in nation-building,” he added.
Olawande also commended the NYSC’s founders and management, saying his ministry would continue to support the scheme.
“THEY ARE OUR HEREOS”
Olakunle Nafiu, the NYSC director-general, said the awardees
were selected through a multilevel screening process assessing service record,
community impact, and civic engagement.
He said 10 ex-corps members who suffered permanent injuries
during service were honoured through the NYSC hope alive programme.
“They are not just honourees—they are heroes of our Republic,” Nafiu said.
He also paid tribute to four corps members who lost their
lives in the line of duty.
“In 2023 alone, we engaged 6,340 core medical personnel,
including 2,319 doctors, to expand access to free healthcare in remote areas,”
Nafiu said.
He said more than four million Nigerians had benefitted from
NYSC’s health initiative for rural dwellers, adding that the scheme’s
entrepreneurship programme trains over 250,000 corps members annually.
“The NYSC remains a living, working institution, actively
shaping lives and building the nation from the ground up,” Nafiu said.
He said reforms were focused on security, personal growth,
resilience, and communication.
“We are building a scheme that delivers material comfort,
teaches relevant skills, and restores the beauty to the idea of national duty,”
he said.
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