Goals and Objectives of the National Youth Service Scheme (NYSC)

The National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) was created in 1973. The organization which was created just after the gloomy civil war, Nigeria was fatigued and desired to raise up graduates, ready for service at all times.

NYSC has grown to be a necessity for every graduate of Nigerian tertiary institution. University, polytechnic and College of education graduates with no exception.

Below are the goals and objectives of the National Youth Service Corps(NYSC)


Goals and Objectives of the NYSC Scheme

Nigeria is plagued by the problems which bear roots from the effect of poverty, mass illiteracy, acute shortage of high skilled manpower (coupled with most uneven distribution of the
skilled people that are available), woefully inadequate socioeconomic infrastructural facilities, housing. Water and sewage facilities, road, healthcare services, and effective communication system.

Faced with these almost intractable problems, which were further compounded by the burden of reconstruction after the civil war, the government and people of Nigeria set for the country, fresh goals, and objectives aimed at establishing Nigeria as:

A united, strong and self reliant nation
a great and dynamic economy
a land of bright and full opportunities for all citizens

The government and people of Nigeria are not aware that sound and patriotic leadership is a precondition for the
rapid social and economic development of the country.

As a nation, Nigeria has been less fortunate in the kind of
leadership that emerge to govern the affairs of the country in the period immediately after independence, a leadership whose achievements notwithstanding, was none the less
ill-prepared. and generally not properly motivated to tackle
the problems of socioeconomic under development, in the interest of the country as a whole.

There is no gain saying the fact that the future of any country depends on the youths. The youths of Nigeria
acknowledge this fact, and have consistently laid claim to the nation’s leadership.

While one may give credence to the saying that leaders are born, not made, one must also concede to the fact
that leadership in a modem society requires a certain degree of preparation and orientation before the assumption of that role.

The universities and other institutions of higher learning are normally expected to be training ground for future
leaders, except that, as we are all aware, these institutions are first and foremost committed to the advancement of
learning and knowledge, training of people for good citizenship.

Little wonder that the products of these
institutions have been accused of being too elitist in their outlook, of not identifying with the plight of common
man, and of inability to appreciate predicament of the vast majority of our people who live in the rural areas.

It was the need to look beyond the immediate present and to think of the future leadership of the country that necessitated the mobilisation of certain categories of our youths through the National Youth Service Corps Scheme.

This was done with a view to giving them the proper guidance and orientation relevant to the needs of the
country.

The National Youth Setvice Corps Decree No. 24 which has now been repealed and replaced by Decree 51
of 16th June 1993, was then formally promulgated.

The purpose of the scheme is primarily to inculcate in Nigerian Youths the spirit of selfless service to the
community, and to emphasize the spirit of oneness and brotherhood of all Nigerians, irrespective of cultural or
social background. The history of our country since independence has clearly indicated the need for unity amongst all our people, and demonstrated the fact that no cultural or geographical entity can exist in isolation.