By Onuminya Yusuf, Sokoto
The National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) has called on employers across the country to prioritize the safety and welfare of corps members deployed to their organisations as a way of boosting productivity during the service year.
The Director General of NYSC, Brigadier General Olakunle Oluseye Nafiu, made the appeal on Tuesday at the 2026 Corps Employers’ Workshop held in Sokoto.
Represented by acting director North west 2, Alhaji Usman Yakubu Yaro, Nafiu said a conducive work environment backed by improved welfare and security would enable corps members to give their best to the nation.
The workshop was themed, ‘Fine-Tuning Stakeholders Collaboration to Enhance Corps Members Welfare and Work Place Experience’.
Nafiu expressed concern over some of the challenges confronting the scheme, noting that rejection of corps members by employers has continued to rise.
He lamented that some employers and corps members collude to stage-manage rejection, a practice he described as detrimental to the objectives of the service.
The DG also decried the underutilisation of corps members at their Places of Primary Assignment, saying many of them were not given meaningful roles to contribute.
He further cited delay in the issuance of monthly clearance to deserving corps members as another major problem undermining the scheme.
According to him, some employers also delay in requesting for corps members or fail to request at all, yet expect postings to their organisations.
In his remarks, the NYSC State Coordinator in Sokoto, Mr. Gabriel Tyoyer Ter, listed additional challenges affecting corps members in the state.
He identified abscondment, ill treatment at workplaces, lack of support for Community Development Service projects, and lack of accommodation as some of the hitches.
Tyoyer said the employers’ forum provides an avenue for stakeholders to exchange ideas aimed at improving NYSC operations and service delivery.
He stressed that NYSC remains committed to fulfilling its mandate of promoting national unity and accelerating socio-economic development.
The coordinator added that since inception, the NYSC Management/Corps Employers’ Forum has helped both parties to enhance capacity for effective engagement of corps members.
Tyoyer urged stakeholders to see corps members as change agents and key contributors to national development, rather than mere temporary staff.
He called for collective responsibility in creating an enabling environment for corps members to render qualitative and efficient service.
Representatives of government and other stakeholders at the workshop pledged to enhance the welfare and security of corps members posted to Sokoto State.
The participants agreed that improved collaboration between NYSC and employers is critical to achieving the goals of the scheme in 2026 and beyond.
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