About The
NYSC Scheme
The
NYSC scheme was created in a bid to reconstruct, reconcile and rebuild the
country after the Nigerian Civil war. The unfortunate antecedents in our
national history gave impetus to the establishment of the National Youth
Service Corps by decree No.24 of 22nd May 1973 which stated that the NYSC is
being established "with a view to the proper encouragement and development
of common ties among the youths of Nigeria and the promotion of national
unity".
As
a developing country. Nigeria is further plagued by the problems attendant upon
a condition of under development, namely; poverty. Mass illiteracy, acute
shortage of highly skilled manpower (coupled with most uneven distribution of
the skilled people that are available), woefully inadequate socioeconomic
infrastructural facilities, housing. Water and sewage facilities, road, health care
services, and effective communication system. . Faced with these almost
intractable problems, which were further compounded by the burden of
reconstruction after the civil war, the government and people of Nigeria set
for the country, fresh goals, and objectives aimed at establishing Nigeria as:
1.
A united, strong and self reliant
nation.
2.
A great and dynamic economy.
3.
A land of bright and full
opportunities for all citizens.
4.
The government and people of Nigeria
are not aware that sound and patriotic leadership are a precondition for the
rapid social and economic development of the country. As a nation, Nigeria has
been less fortunate in the kind of leadership that emerge to govern the affairs
of the country in the period immediately after independence, a leadership whose
achievements notwithstanding, was none the less ill-prepared. And generally not
properly motivated to tackle the problems of socioeconomic under development,
in the interest of the country as a whole.
5.
There is no gain saying the fact
that the future of any country depends on the youths. The youths of Nigeria
acknowledge this fact, and have consistently laid claim to the nation's
leadership.
6.
While one may give credence to the
saying that leaders are born, not made, one must also concede to the fact that
leadership in a modem society requires a certain degree of preparation and
orientation before the assumption of that role.
7.
The universities and other
institutions of higher learning are normally expected to be training ground for
future leaders, except that, as we are all aware, these institutions are first
committed to the advancement of learning and knowledge, training of people for
good citizenship. Little wonder that the products of these institutions have
been accused of being too elitist in their outlook, not identifying with the
plight of the common man, and of inability to appreciate predicament of the
vast majority of our people who live in the rural areas.
8.
It was the need to look beyond the
immediate present and to think about the future leadership of the country that
necessitated the mobilization of certain categories of our youths through the
National Youth Service Corps Scheme. This was done with a view to giving them
the proper guidance and orientation relevant to the needs of the country. The
National Youth Service Corps Decree No. 24 which has now been repealed and
replaced by Decree 51 of 16th June 1993, was then formally promulgated.
9.
The purpose of the scheme is
primarily to inculcate in Nigerian Youths the spirit of selfless service to the
community, and to emphasize the spirit of oneness and brotherhood of all
Nigerians, irrespective of cultural or social background. The history of our
country since independence has much indicated the need for unity amongst all
our people, and demonstrated the fact that no cultural or geographical entity
can exist in isolation.
Objectives Of The NYSC Scheme
The
objectives of the National Youth Service Corps Scheme are well spelled out in
Decree No.51 of 16th June 1993 as follows:
To
inculcate discipline in Nigerian youths by instilling in them a tradition of
industry at work, and of patriotic and loyal service to Nigeria in any
situation they may find themselves.
·
To raise the moral tone of the
Nigerian youths by giving them the opportunity to learn about higher ideals of
national achievement, social and cultural improvement.
·
To develop in the Nigerian youths
the attitudes of mind, acquired through shared experience and suitable
training, which will make them more
amenable to mobilization in the national interest.
·
To develop in the Nigerian youths
the attitudes of mind, acquired through shared experience and suitable
training. Which will make them more amenable to mobilization in the national
interest.
·
To enable Nigerian youths acquire
the spirit of self reliance by encouraging them to develop skills for self
employment.
·
To contribute to the accelerated
growth of the national economy.
·
To develop common ties among the Nigerian
youths and promote national unity and integration.
·
To remove prejudices, eliminate
ignorance and confirm at first hand the many similarities among Nigerians of
all ethnic groups.
·
To develop a sense of corporate
existence and common destiny of the people of Nigeria.
·
The equitable distribution of
members of the service corps and the effective utilization of their skills in
area of national needs.
·
That is as far as possible, youths are assigned to
jobs in the States other than their
States of origin.
·
That such group of youths assigned
to work together is as representative of Nigeria as far as possible.
·
That the Nigerian youths are exposed
to the modes of living of the people in different parts of Nigeria.
·
That the Nigerian youths are
encouraged to eschew religious intolerance by accommodating religious
differences.
·
That member of the service corps are
encouraged to seek at the end of their one year national service, career,
employment all over Nigeria, thus promoting the free movement of labour.
·
That employers are induced partly
through their experience with members of the service corps to employ more
readily and on a permanent basis, qualified Nigerians, irrespective of their
States of origin.