The Governor of Nigeria’s central Kogi State, Ahmed Ododo, has promised a comprehensive upgrade of the state’s youth service camp and vowed to prioritize the security and welfare of young graduates deployed to the region.
Governor Ododo made the commitments during a meeting with the newly appointed Director General of the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC), Brigadier General Olakunle Nafiu, at the Government House in Lokoja.
The NYSC is a mandatory one-year national service scheme for Nigerian university and polytechnic graduates, designed to promote national unity and community development.
Major camp upgrade planned
Governor Ododo announced that the state government has engaged consultants to prepare architectural designs for a complete renovation and upgrade of the NYSC Permanent Orientation Camp in Asaya.
The governor, who said he had visited the site to assess its condition, stated that the project aims to transform the facility into one of the best orientation camps in the country.
Action on unpaid allowances
Addressing the financial challenges faced by the young graduates, Governor Ododo expressed surprise and disappointment that the state’s monthly top-up allowance for corps members had not been consistently paid.
Describing the disruption as “unacceptable”, the governor immediately directed the state’s Commissioner for Youth and Sports Development to resolve the issue. He stressed that the young people deserve adequate support and encouragement while serving the nation.
To address critical staffing shortages in the state, Governor Ododo also made an appeal to the NYSC leadership to deploy more:
- Medical doctors: The governor noted that the state has introduced attractive financial incentives, including special allowances for healthcare personnel, to bolster local clinics.
- Teachers: More educational instructors are needed to strengthen the state’s public school system.
Rated among the ‘safest’ states
The NYSC Director General, Brigadier General Olakunle Nafiu, praised Kogi State as one of the safest destinations for graduates.
Due to the government’s security architecture, General Nafiu confirmed that the scheme is currently comfortable deploying corps members to all 21 local government areas of the state.
The Commissioner for Youth and Sports Development, Monday Aridaojo Anyebe, praised the governor’s intervention, noting that the administration has recently improved camp feeding, provided transport support, and inaugurated a dedicated state governing board to oversee the scheme’s operations.
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