The Federal Government has offered immediate employment to 168 outstanding members of the National Youth Service Corps, (NYSC), who served in 2015, 2016 and 2017.
President Muhammadu Buhari announced this Friday evening at the award ceremony which held on Friday at the State House Conference Center, Abuja.
Represented by Vice President, Yemi Osinbajo, Buhari also announced automatic scholarships for the recipients of the awards to undertake postgraduate studies of their choice.
The event was attended by the former Head of State and founder of the NYSC, General Yakubu Gowon (rtd).
One of the criteria used for the selection of winners was corps members who carried out community development services diligently and completed them.
Another measure was those whose community development projects had direct and positive impacts on the communities where they served and those who were committed during the orientation course.
President Buhari, said the reward was to encourage excellence among the youth.
“In line with our policy of encouraging and rewarding excellence among our youth, I hereby announce the immediate employment into the Federal Civil Service of all the Award winners and beneficiaries of the NYSC Hope Alive Programme.
“In addition, the Federal Government hereby offers each of you automatic scholarships up to Doctorate level in any Nigerian University of your choice.”
The president described the NYSC, which was established by in 1973 by the military government of General Yakubu Gowon, “as an indisputable national heritage,” which has contributed to “promote national integration and cohesion.”
According to him, the programme has become an important complement to national development, by making available manpower to meet Nigeria’s requirements in education, health, infrastructure development, and many other areas.
“The NYSC has from the beginning been about opportunities: opportunities for young Nigerians to serve, to earn a living, to travel, to see and learn about Nigeria beyond our comfort zones, and to build lifelong friendships.
“The important roles that young people, especially members of the NYSC played in ensuring the peaceful conduct of the 2015 and 2019 general elections offer clear evidence that when positively engaged in nation-building, our country stands to gain tremendously.”
The President noted that exceptional individuals in society, who are the true builders of institutions and nations, are not necessarily those from the wealthiest homes or most fortunate circumstances.
“Indeed they may be from the most humble circumstances and they may not even be the most academically successful of their peers.
“But they are the young men and women who somehow know that true greatness comes by serving others and our societies.”
According to him, the vision, innovation and hard work of one person could make a difference in the life of a community or a nation.
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