NYSC faced strong student opposition at inception — Gowon

Former Head of State and founder of the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC), General Yakubu Gowon, has praised the scheme’s leadership for staying true to its founding principles over the past 50 years.

Gowon shared these remarks when the newly appointed NYSC Director General, Brigadier General Olakunle Nafiu, paid him a courtesy visit at his Asokoro residence in Abuja.

According to a Wednesday statement by NYSC’s Acting Director of Information and Public Relations, Caroline Embu, Gowon recalled the initial opposition the NYSC faced from Nigerian students when it was launched in 1973.

He, however, emphasized that the scheme has since grown into a vital national institution, fostering unity, integration, job creation, and youth empowerment nationwide.

“The former head of State and founding father of the National Youth Service Corps, General Yakubu Gowon GCFR, has commended the managers of the Scheme for sustaining the vision that informed the establishment of NYSC.

“He said the NYSC was greeted with strong opposition from Nigerian students across the country at inception, had not only overcome the initial misgivings but had grown to become a nationally recognised and accepted tool for fostering national unity, integration, development, job creation, and youth empowerment in Nigeria.

“He acknowledged the multi-dimensional contributions of Corps Members to national development over the 50 years of the Scheme’s existence.

“He further praised the deployment policy of NYSC, which exposes Corps Members to the various peoples and cultures of Nigeria, by posting them to States and geographical locations other than their own,” the statement partly read.

He urged Brigadier General Nafiu to build on the legacies of his predecessors and take the scheme to greater heights.

In response, Brigadier General Nafiu described the NYSC as “a divine project that has been of significant blessing to the country,” while expressing appreciation for General Gowon’s continued support and sought his mentorship as he leads the scheme.