Gowon commends NYSC managers for sustaining scheme’s vision

Former Head of State Yakubu Gowon has hailed managers of the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) for sustaining the vision that informed the establishment of the scheme.

Gowon also reiterated steadfast support for the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC).

The Retired General made this declaration while hosting the newly appointed NYSC Director-General, Olakunle Oluseye Nafiu, at his Abuja residence, on Monday.

Gowon praised the NYSC for its significant contributions to fostering national unity, empowering youth, and driving societal development.

Reflecting on the scheme’s history, he acknowledged the initial skepticism over its establishment in 1973. Despite early opposition, Gowon emphasised how the NYSC has evolved into a cornerstone of Nigerian society, now widely accepted for its pivotal role in the country’s growth and progress.

A statement on the NYSC’s Facebook handle, on Monday, 24th of March 2025 reads:

“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.

“General Gowon gave this commendation today when the newly appointed Director General, Brigadier General Olakunle Oluseye Nafiu paid him a courtesy visit at his residence in Asokoro, Abuja.

“He acknowledged the multi-dimensional contributions of Corps Members to national development in the over 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.

“While congratulating Brigadier General Nafiu on his appointment, Gowon urged him to build on the legacies of his predecessors by propelling the NYSC to greater heights and also wished him well.

“Brigadier General Nafiu described the initiative of establishing the NYSC in 1973 as a divine project that has been of immense blessing to the country, positively impacting generations of Nigerians.

“Nafiu who said the visit was to solicit for General Gowon’s blessings, expressed appreciation for his fatherly role to the Scheme, and appealed for his continued mentorship.

“The NYSC was established by the Gowon administration as part of the post-war programmes designed to reconcile, reconstruct, and rehabilitate Nigeria after a bitter 30-month long civil war that had ravaged the country.” [CONTINUE READING HERE]>>>>>