The National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) and the National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS) have agreed to strengthen collaboration on corps mobilisation, youth empowerment and reforms aimed at improving the national service experience for Nigerian graduates.
The agreement was reached during a courtesy visit by the National Executive Council of NANS to the Director-General of the NYSC, Brigadier General Olakunle Nafiu, at the scheme’s National Directorate Headquarters in Abuja.
Speaking during the meeting, Brigadier General Nafiu described NANS as one of the NYSC’s longstanding partners, noting that the association had consistently supported the scheme since its establishment. He reaffirmed the NYSC’s commitment to sustaining strategic partnerships that would enhance the implementation of its mandate.
According to him, the objectives of the NYSC in promoting national unity, integration and nation-building are directly connected to Nigerian students, who eventually become corps members upon graduation.
The Director-General said the scheme would continue to strengthen its Skills Acquisition and Entrepreneurship Development (SAED) programme to equip corps members with practical entrepreneurial and vocational skills capable of reducing graduate unemployment and encouraging self-reliance.
He also urged the student body to remain actively engaged in national discourse by making constructive contributions to policies affecting students, young people and Nigeria’s democratic development.
Nafiu disclosed that NANS would now play a more active role in the pre-mobilisation process and other activities preceding orientation camps. He explained that the association’s presence across tertiary institutions places it in a strategic position to support the mobilisation exercise and improve communication with prospective corps members.
He further highlighted the NYSC’s ongoing digital transformation initiatives, describing them as part of broader reforms designed to improve operational efficiency, transparency and service delivery.
Speaking on behalf of the delegation, the Senate President of NANS, Comrade Moses Ikeabuchi, said the visit was aimed at strengthening the relationship between the student body and the NYSC while identifying practical areas of collaboration, particularly in corps mobilisation.
He assured the scheme of NANS’ continued support, pledging that the association would remain a constructive stakeholder in matters affecting students and prospective corps members nationwide.
Also speaking, the National Vice President of NANS, Comrade Sadique Zango, commended the NYSC for its commitment to the welfare of corps members. He called for stronger engagement between the scheme and students before mobilisation, noting that improved communication would contribute to a smoother orientation programme and more successful service year for graduates.
The meeting underscored the shared commitment of both organisations to enhancing the NYSC mobilisation process, expanding youth empowerment opportunities and strengthening collaboration in support of national development.
