President Bola Tinubu has ordered the immediate employment of 200 National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) honorees into the Federal Civil Service. The president also awarded each of them the sum of N250,000 as well as a scholarship to obtain postgraduate studies at any Nigerian university.
This development was announced by Nkeiruka Onyejeocha, the Minister of State for Labour and Employment, who represented the President at the combined President’s NYSC honors award ceremony (2020–2023) held in Abuja on Tuesday.
The awardees were celebrated for their “discipline, commitment, selflessness, teamwork, patriotism, and integrity” while assuring the honorees that the “Head of the Civil Service of the Federation and Chairman of the Federal Civil Service Commission will immediately begin their employment process.”
Among the awardees were also 10 physically challenged former corps members, who sustained different types of disability while serving, adding that, “We will never forget their sacrifice.”
President Tinubu also reiterated his administration’s dedication to youth empowerment, stating, “In appreciation of these critical roles played by youths in national development, and to put them in the foreground of our economy, the government developed several youth-related programs, covering education, skills development, technology, and information sustainability.”
In his remarks, the Minister of Youth Development, Ayodele Olawande, said, “Each outstanding honoree here today exemplifies the very best of what our youth can achieve. Their positive character and commitment have made them true role models, inspiring others nationwide.”
Olawande also applauded the recent improvement in NYSC members’ allowance from ₦33,000 to ₦77,000.
Similarly, the Director-General of the National Youth Service Corps, Brigadier General Olakunle Nafiu, said, “The future of our great nation and a vital force for our collective progress and preservation of our social, cultural, and national heritage.”