The Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Minister of State, Dr. Mariya Mahmoud, has declared that President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s administration has placed youth empowerment at the centre of its Renewed Hope Agenda.
She said Tinubu has recognised youths as the driving force of Nigeria’s future.
The Minister made this declaration at the closing ceremony for the 2025 Batch ‘B’ Stream 1 Orientation Course held at the NYSC Permanent Orientation Camp in Kubwa-Abuja.
Mahmoud explained that through skills development, entrepreneurship support, digital innovation, and job creation initiatives, the government aimed to equip Nigerian youths to thrive in a competitive global economy.
The goal, she said, was to empower young people as job creators rather than just job seekers, thus reducing unemployment, fostering innovation, and strengthening socio-economic development.
She assured that the FCT Administration, under the leadership of Nyesom Wike, remained fully committed to supporting the NYSC’s noble objectives and providing an enabling environment for the corps members to excel.
While commending the NYSC management for their tireless efforts that made the orientation course successful, she, however, emphasised that the NYSC’s commitment to youth development and national integration was invaluable in strengthening the nation’s collective bond.
Addressing the corps members, according to a statement issued by her Special Assistant (SA) Media, Austine Elemue, the minister urged them to carry forward the lessons learned during orientation, highlighting that the values of discipline, unity, patriotism, and service to humanity should guide their conduct at all times.
She further charged them to contribute positively to the communities where they would serve, reminding them that the NYSC scheme was not only a call to duty but also an opportunity to promote national unity and be ambassadors of peace and development.
Mahmoud also reminded the corps members to be security-conscious, to respect the cultures and traditions of their host communities, and to behave in ways that would bring honour to both the NYSC and Nigeria.
Speaking in the same vein, FCT NYSC Coordinator, Mr. Samson Ateli, affirmed that the NYSC has remained a national asset which plays vital roles in the promotion of peaceful co-existence and accelerated national development through the mobilisation and deployment of corps members to various spheres of the economy.
This, he said, inspires the corps members to function productively and take deliberate steps to fully integrate with members of their host communities.
Ateli advised corps members to accept their postings in good faith and desist from acts of inducing rejections.
“Similarly, I urge you to take advantage of the Skill Acquisition Entrepreneur Development (SAED) Programme and register for your post-camp SAED Training,” he added.
