A senior United Nations official has praised Nigeria’s National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) for its role in driving national development and providing essential healthcare to the country’s most vulnerable populations.
Felipe Paullier, the UN Assistant Secretary-General for Youth Affairs, described the scheme as a “critical agent” for youth empowerment during a visit to a rural medical outreach in Kabusa, on the outskirts of Abuja.
The visit focused on the Health Initiative for Rural Dwellers (HIRD), a flagship NYSC programme that deploys graduate doctors, nurses, and pharmacists to provide free medical care in underserved communities.
Impact by the Numbers
Since the HIRD programme was launched in 2014, it has become a cornerstone of Nigeria’s rural healthcare strategy.
5 Million: Total beneficiaries of the free medical outreach since inception.
45,000: Projected beneficiaries for the current 2026 cycle.
12 Years: Duration of the consistent healthcare intervention.
Alignment with Global Goals
Brigadier General Olakunle Nafiu, the NYSC Director-General, noted that the scheme’s activities are directly aligned with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Specifically, the medical outreaches target SDG 3 (Good Health and Well-being) by increasing healthcare access, and SDG 1 (No Poverty) by removing the financial burden of medical costs for low-income families.”I have interacted with many young and old Nigerians who are proud of their NYSC experiences,” Dr. Paullier remarked, noting that the UN is looking to strengthen partnerships with youth organisations that act as “partners in development, peace, and human rights.”
New Mobile Clinics Expand Reach
A major highlight of the event was the unveiling of two state-of-the-art mobile clinics. The units were recently donated by Nigeria’s First Lady, Senator Oluremi Tinubu, to allow the scheme to reach even more remote areas. With this new equipment, the NYSC announced plans to expand its services from basic consultations to include free minor surgeries performed by volunteer corps members.
The outreach in Kabusa provided a wide range of services, including:Medical consultations & diagnosis, laboratory testing & eye care; health education: conducted in the local Gbagyi language to ensure community engagement, referrals: Connecting patients with chronic conditions to secondary health facilities.
The UN visit underscores the growing international recognition of the NYSC—not just as a mandatory service year, but as a vital logistics and humanitarian tool in Africa’s most populous nation.
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