By ZAKAA LAZARUS
The National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) has expressed commitment to strengthening its Community Development Service (CDS) initiatives with a view to addressing emerging societal challenges.
To this end, it is poised to empower relevant officers with the necessary tools for guiding Corps Members towards identifying community needs, mobilizing resources, and executing projects that will improve the well-being of their host communities.
The Director-General (DG) of the Scheme, Brigadier General Olakunle Nafiu, made this known at a capacity building training for the CDS officers, which took place in Abuja with the theme “Strengthening Community Development Service (CDS) for Sustainability in a Changing Society.”
Nafiu, who was represented by the Director, Reform Coordination and Service Improvement, Mr. Chukwu Chinwendu, said over the years, the CDS programme had remained central to the NYSC mandate as it enabled Corps Members to contribute to national development while fostering social cohesion and grassroots engagement.
The DG reaffirmed the commitment of the Management to continuous training of CDS officers as a strategy for achieving sustainable community development.
He urged the workshop participants to actively engage, share experiences, and step down the training in their various formations, noting that the future of the NYSC largely depended on the impact it made on the lives of Nigerians.
While underscoring the importance of collaboration, he enjoined them to engage key stakeholders such as traditional rulers, religious leaders, youth groups, community development associations, and opinion leaders to ensure sustainability of projects executed by Corps Members.
Nafiu commended the successive batches of Corps Members, who had executed life-changing community development projects, noting that their contributions had continued to enhance the relevance of the NYSC.
Earlier in her remarks, the Acting Director, Community Development Service, Mrs. Olufunmilayo Ajayi, described the CDS as a critical component of the Scheme.
She called on the CDS Officers to take full advantage of the workshop, stressing that it would significantly enhance their effectiveness on the job.
