Corps members across the country, who have just completed their mandatory one-year service under the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) have been advised not to allow the present economic challenges to demoralise them, leading them to lose hope.

The advice was given by the NYSC Director General, Brig.-Gen. Olakunle Nafiu, while speaking in Bauchi on Tuesday, during the distribution of certificates of National Service to the 2024 Batch B Stream 1 Corps members passing out of the scheme.

The DG, who was represented by Kufre Umoren, the Bauchi State NYSC Coordinator, said that Nigeria is a country filled with opportunities that, when effectively tapped into, could turn things around.

He said, “I want to encourage you, despite the harsh economic conditions, don’t lose hope in your country. You can still turn the situation around because Nigeria is a land of opportunities.

“If you travel around the country, you will realise that there is no part of the country that does not have mineral resources or one form of economic advantage. Don’t give up. I have trust in your strength because the Nigerian youth are resilient, strong, hardworking, and ingenious.

It’s not a time for you to go back to your parents and start eating their food again. It’s a time for you to think of how you can provide for and support them.”

According to him, the passing out is a moment for the outgoing Corps members to start making critical decisions that would shape their futures and plan ahead for their next phase of life.

Nafiu urged the outgoing Corps members to appreciate their parents’ and sponsors’ efforts for seeing them through their schools, calling on them to appreciate themselves, especially those that had touched other people’s children’s lives and served their nation faithfully.

He said, “For those of you that have faithfully undergone the Skill Acquisition and Entrepreneurship Development programme of the NYSC, this is the time for you to put into practice what you have learned in the programme.