NYSC Moves to Sanction Employers Over Corps Members’ Welfare

(Olakunle Nafiu. Photo by The Advocate)

The National Youth Service Corps has announced plans to blacklist employers who fail to provide accommodation and transportation for corps members posted to serve with them.

In a statement shared on its social media page on Tuesday, the Director-General of the scheme, Brig.-Gen. Olakunle Nafiu, disclosed this while interacting with corps members during a working visit to Kogi State.

He said any employer that failed to provide accommodation and transportation for corps members would be blacklisted from enjoying the scheme’s services, urging organisations employing corps members to improve their welfare, stressing that adequate support would enhance their productivity and wellbeing during the service year.

The NYSC boss also assured corps members of the Federal Government’s commitment to their security and welfare, appealing to state and local governments, as well as other stakeholders, to increase their support for the scheme.

He reminded corps members that security is everyone’s business and urged them to promptly report suspicious activities to relevant security agencies.

Nafiu also advised corps members to remain disciplined, dedicated to duty, and avoid acts capable of tarnishing the image of the scheme.

He further urged them to take the post-camp Skill Acquisition and Entrepreneurship Development training seriously, describing it as an opportunity to become self-reliant, and encouraged them to be proactive, identify business opportunities within their host communities, and begin making money for themselves even during the service year.

Acknowledging the prevailing economic challenges, the NYSC Director-General also encouraged corps members to cultivate a savings culture, urging them to treat their service year as a training ground for future financial management by managing their finances wisely.

Earlier, the NYSC Coordinator in Kogi State, Mrs Tochi Chika Chris-Moneke, commended the Director-General for the visit, saying it demonstrated his commitment to the welfare and security of corps members and staff.

She also disclosed that the state secretariat was planning to organise a corps employers’ workshop and a Health Initiative for Rural Dwellers programme in the coming weeks.