Former Head of State and founder of the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC), General Yakubu Gowon, has praised the scheme’s managers for maintaining its founding vision over the past 50 years.

During a visit by the newly appointed NYSC Director General, Brigadier General Olakunle Nafiu, at his Asokoro residence, Gowon acknowledged the initial resistance to the scheme but highlighted its transformation.

“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,” a statement by NYSC spokesperson Caroline Embu read.

Gowon noted that while the NYSC faced “strong opposition from Nigerian students across the country at inception,” it has since “grown to become a nationally recognised and accepted tool for fostering national unity, integration, development, job creation, and youth empowerment in Nigeria.” He also praised the deployment policy, which “exposes Corps Members to the various peoples and cultures of Nigeria, by posting them to States and geographical locations other than their own.”

Urging Nafiu to build on past achievements, he emphasized the scheme’s impact on national development.

In response, Nafiu described the NYSC as “a divine project that has been of significant blessing to the country” and expressed gratitude for Gowon’s continued support, seeking his mentorship as he leads the scheme.