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OUR RUBICON: POINT OF NO RETURN
Over forty years ago when the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) was established by law, it was with a purpose; an aim. The scheme was to solve the problems emanating from a 30-month civil war that ravaged the country. The said bloody civil war was birthed by misunderstanding, cultural differences and national divide.
Nigerian graduates as at before the scheme lacked whatsoever values (e.g. cultural tolerance) they needed to work, reside or do business in other regions of the nation, other than where they hailed from. Thanks to the General Yakubu Gowon led military government who saw the lacuna after the 30-month civil war and thought it wise to fill it. With the announcement of a national programme of rehabilitation, re-construction and reconciliation, the necessary machinery was put in place for the actualization of the scheme. After months of exhaustive deliberations and consultations, the scheme was established to strengthen the national unity, integration, foster peace among Nigerians and accelerate socio-economic development in the country.
Right from the inception of the scheme, the sense of nation building, patriotism and loyal service to fatherland has been inculcated into Nigerian youths and as the nation evolved from military to democratic rule and through various stages of national challenge, the scheme has refused to throw-in the towel and is poised to carry on in this Rubicon movement. In a bid to empower corps members and prepare them for the challenges of the labour market, the scheme in 2012 introduced the Skill Acquisition and Empowerment Development otherwise known as the SAED project. As the country continues to seek practical solutions to the challenge of youth unemployment in the country, one programme whose scope and scale cuts across all 36 states is the SAED Project of the NYSC. The SAED Project which was introduced in March 2012 was meant to empower corps members with entrepreneurial and agro-enterprise skills, with corresponding interest-free loans, to generate employment, eradicate poverty and hunger, as well as create wealth. So far, well over 510,000 corps members have been trained in various areas of training.
Though other initiatives created by government at the 3-tier of governance in the country made little impact, the 3-year old SAED training programme has continued to train and create young entrepreneurs and business minded Nigerian graduates as job creators rather than job seekers.
The NYSC scheme has over the years allowed for regular and effective distribution of skilled manpower, the steady breaking of social and cultural barriers as well as the building of friendly bridges across the nation. It has also promoted higher values of national unity and development, rekindled interest in neglected but vital areas of national development like agriculture, and promoted leadership qualities in our youths.
In these and other ways, the scheme constantly pricks the conscience of the nation to the right course of development, thereby keeping the hope alive for a better Nigeria.
The regular invitation of members of the Corps to participate in the conduct of such sensitive national assignments as population census, election, etc. and to provide materials for the technical Aid Corps (TAC) is only an expression of faith in the ability of the scheme, but also an appreciation of its monumental achievements since its inception in 1973. The positive multiplier effect of these achievements on society are worthy of further examination, taking, for instance the deployment of corps members. From its humble beginning of about 2,000 corps members in 1973, it has rapidly grown to a staggering annual figure running into hundreds of thousands in 2014. This phenomenal growth, apart from ensuring that the presence of the scheme is felt in every nook and crannies of the Federation, also allows for the even distribution of manpower in the best interest of Nigeriua.
There is hardly any qualification or skill outside the reach of the scheme. While this has enabled it to supply qualitative labour regularly to the economy within the last 42 years, corps members active participation in primary and secondary assignments have afforded them opportunity to contribute their own quota to the accelerated development of the nation. In many respects, the scheme has played leadership roles in pushing the frontiers of some subsectors further afield in the interest of society e.g. agriculture and promotion of indigenous technology.
One of the problems of the nation as at the time of establishment of the scheme was very poor leadership. As the NYSC handbook puts it, “Nigeria has been less than fortunate in the kind of leaderships that emerge to govern the affairs of the country. Leadership requires a certain degree of preparation and orientation.” Consequently, the NYSC has remained a training ground for the future leaders of this country. The success has been outstanding, judging by the rich citation of the scheme’s award winners annually. Over 1000 corps members have distinguished themselves in this regard since 1974.
The scheme has promoted national consciousness of both the corps members and its associates. When a corps member departs home for service, he leaves with the goodwill of his parents, relatives and well-wishers. At the current rate of over 8,500 serving in various parts of the country per year, the meaning is that at an infinite number of corps members and associates are at one time or the other thinking national. This is one aspect of the intangible contributions of the scheme that cannot be quantified in monetary terms.
Constantly reminding the nation of the need to promote national unity and develop especially the rural areas through its Community Development Service (CDS) projects, the scheme pricks the conscience of the nation to its responsibility.
Needless to say, that the scheme has made immense contributions to the socio-economic development of the locality in particular and Nigeria in general. Right now it is unpatriotic and ‘unnationalistic’ for any to think of the scheme as unproductive and a waste of time as countless governments have praised and extolled the efforts of Nigerian youths through the scheme. Traditional rulers, educationists, political office holders and other well-meaning Nigerians haven seen the effectiveness of the scheme, have severally called for more of government’s funding and commitment to the growth and development of the NYSC scheme.
Governments, past and present have promised to see to more commitment to the scheme and its concerns. Many a time, such promises are not kept but it is obvious that there is need for states and local governments to begin to show more interest in the scheme.
Our prayers will continue to be to the God of creation to direct our noble course, guide our leaders right, help our youths the truth to know, in love and honesty to grow and living just and true, to build a nation where peace and justice reigns. We have come a long way. We have reached our Rubicon and there’s no going back.

Until I see the state coordinator's child serving in a remote village, I'll advise you to shelve this article!!

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