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By Abdullahi InuwaÂ
Katsina State Governor, Malam Dikko Umaru Radda, has reaffirmed his administration’s commitment to supporting the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC), describing the scheme as a vital instrument for national unity and development.
Governor Radda made the pledge when the NYSC Director-General, Brigadier General Olakunle Nafiu, paid a courtesy visit to the Katsina State Government House.
The governor praised the contributions of corps members to the state, particularly in the education and healthcare sectors, where they continue to help bridge critical manpower gaps.
He commended corps members for their smooth integration into host communities and their contributions to community development beyond their primary places of assignment.
According to him, the NYSC remains one of Nigeria’s most important institutions for promoting national integration, as it brings young graduates from different ethnic, religious and cultural backgrounds together to live and work as one.
Radda disclosed that the state government already provides incentives for corps medical personnel and other categories of corps members serving in Katsina, while promising to identify additional areas where government support would be needed.
The governor also directed that the condition of facilities at the NYSC orientation camp be assessed, with a view to renovating hostels and improving accommodation and other facilities for corps members.
Earlier, the NYSC Director-General, Brigadier General Olakunle Nafiu, commended the Katsina State Government for creating a safe and conducive environment for the effective operation of the scheme.
Nafiu explained that the NYSC operates through three major administrative structures—the National Directorate Headquarters in Abuja, state secretariats headed by state coordinators, and local government inspectorates managed by local government inspectors.
He recalled that since the establishment of the scheme in 1973, the NYSC had expanded significantly from an initial 2,364 corps members to more than 400,000 graduates mobilised annually.
The Director-General disclosed that the scheme is projecting to mobilise over 450,000 graduates during the current service year, while tertiary institutions nationwide are expected to produce about 650,000 graduates.
He stressed that the NYSC remains a key contributor to national development by providing skilled manpower to critical sectors, particularly education and healthcare.
The visit underscored the shared commitment of the Katsina State Government and the NYSC to strengthening youth service, improving corps members’ welfare and using the scheme as a tool for national development and unity.
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