The National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) has called on employers across Nigeria to fulfil their responsibilities to corps members by assigning meaningful roles, providing stipends, and offering mentorship to improve productivity in the workplace.
Brigadier-General Olakunle Akinyemi Nafiu, NYSC Director-General, made the appeal during the 2025 Corps Employers’ Workshop in Somolu, Lagos State. The event, themed “Strengthening NYSC/Corps Employers’ Partnership for Improved Mutual Benefits”, brought together stakeholders from both public and private sectors.
“Employers must assign corps members to duties that align with their qualifications,” Nafiu said, stressing that this enhances both service delivery and corps members’ morale.
He described the workshop as a strategic platform to clarify policies, strengthen partnerships, and align corps deployment with national goals.
Lagos State Commissioner for Youth and Social Development, Mr. Mobolaji Ogunlende, also urged employers to mentor corps members, describing them as “the next generation of leaders.”
“Fostering cooperation, innovation, and mutual growth will improve outcomes for everyone—communities, corps members, and employers,” Ogunlende said.
NYSC Lagos State Coordinator, Mrs. Christina Salmwang, encouraged employers to give corps members meaningful tasks and raise stipends where possible. She also urged them to report underperforming individuals.
Professor Maryam Quadri, Head of Political Science at the University of Lagos, who delivered a lecture on corps productivity, said employers must view corps members as valuable human resources, not stopgaps.
She identified key challenges such as misalignment of skills, weak mentoring structures, and lack of digital tools. She recommended that corps members be trained on professionalism, networking, and long-term career planning.
The workshop concluded with renewed calls for stronger employer support to improve corps member outcomes and enhance national development.
