The Jigawa State Governor, Umar Namadi, has encouraged 2,005 newly inducted Batch A Stream II corps members assigned to the state to take the Skills Acquisition and Entrepreneurship Development programme seriously to achieve self-reliance.
Namadi gave the advice during the official opening and swearing-in ceremony of the corps members held on Friday at the Yakubu Gowon NYSC Permanent Orientation Camp, Fanisau, Dutse.
Represented by his deputy, Aminu Gumel, the governor urged the corps members to uphold discipline.
The 2,005 corps members, deployed from different states across the country, were sworn in by the Jigawa State Chief Judge, represented by Justice Usman Lamin, who administered the Oath of Allegiance and urged them to comply with the NYSC laws and bye-laws and act as worthy ambassadors of their families and institutions.
The event, attended by government officials, traditional rulers, and other dignitaries, featured parades, cultural performances, and briefings by camp officials on camp rules and regulations.
The National Youth Service Corps was established by Decree No. 51 of 1973 under the administration of General Yakubu Gowon, following the Nigerian Civil War, with the core objective of promoting national unity, encouraging inter-ethnic understanding, and building a spirit of service among Nigerian graduates.
The scheme mandates all Nigerian graduates below the age of 30 to participate in a compulsory one-year national service programme, which begins with a three-week orientation camp exercise.
