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Deepening Fight Against Pandemic COVID-19:NYSC On Focus

Published

6 years ago

May 5, 2020

Feature: Deepening Fight Against Pandemic COVID-19 : NYSC On Focus

By Christopher Lot

The fight against the existence of mankind which COVID-19 portends has taken a new dimension in Nigeria, as confirmed cases of community infections have been on the upward swing across the States and Federal Capital Territory, Abuja.

This unfortunate development has assumed grave danger to the wellbeing of the entire population, and a potential set back to the earlier perceived gains recorded in the fight against the pandemic by the country.

Doubtlessly, the situation at hand requires urgent and coordinated approach to contain.

In response to this critical challenge posed by the scourge, which has decimated scores of lives in Nigeria, members of the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) who have been in the frontline of the national effort to stem the tide of the pandemic have rejigged their campaign efforts against the hydra – headed monster – extending the battle line to the rural areas, a move in tandem with the community development strides which the Scheme has espoused in over 46 years of its existence.

Unarguably endowed with a reservoir of talented and educated virile – youths, exuding great energy, with specialisations cutting across diverse fields of study, the Corps through its members has continued to initiate and execute a number of interventions nationwide in support of the national aspirations to flatten the COVID – 19 curve.

For instance, as part of their responsibilities in respect of the Health Initiative for Rural Dwellers(HIRD); a Community Development Service programme of the Scheme, Corps Medical Personnel run mobile clinics, traversing the nooks and crannies of the country, providing essential and quality free medicare to the people, especially the less privileged in the society.

The programme serves as a platform for addressing the health challenges of the rural communities, particularly those that experience difficulties in accessing healthcare.

Under the programme, a periodic medical outreach to the rural communities is carried out, and usually lasts for one week. Apart from the centrally coordinated outreaches conducted simultaneously nationwide, each NYSC State/FCT Secretariats also mobilises the Corps medical teams to conduct outreaches in the various communities on quarterly basis.

In addition, Corps members in different localities work out a schedule, where they move from one community to another, within their host communities to sensitise the populace on the safety protocols of COVID – 19.

This structure is available, functional and playing a critical role in complementing government’s efforts to curb the rising cases of COVID-19 through community infection in Nigeria.

During the sensitisation programme, Corps members preach and demonstrate social distancing, regular hand washing, use of surface and hand sanitisers, as well as wearing of face masks which have proven to be effective in curtailing the spread of the highly infectious virus.

It is heartwarming to note that these Nigerians, burning with youthful energy and zest, always ready to impact positively on the nation also produced and donated to the Federal and State Governments, in addition to some communities NYSC customised face masks, hand sanitisers and liquid soap.

The sensitisation campaign equally involved advocacy visits to prominent traditional rulers in their respective communities, police stations, worship centres, and other public places where community theatre; drama, stand – up comedy and film shows are utilised by the Corps members as veritable tools to educate the public on the pandemic, while observing social distancing.

It is imperative to state that the theatre outreach equally affords the Corps members the platform to donate cartons of hand sanitisers, liquid soap and facemasks to the institutions, while the materials are also placed at some strategic locations for public use.

To make the message more penetrating, banners, billboards on the raging issue are strategically positioned, while radio and television programmes on COVID-19 are anchored by Corps members periodically in English language, pidgin English and other indigenous languages in the various media organisations across the country to drive home the message on COVID – 19 preventive measures.

In order to cushion the adverse effects of the quarantine order imposed across the nation, and encourage people to abide by COVID-19 protocols, Corps members distributed free of charge, food items and other essential palliatives to different households in some of the communities they visited for the advocacy.

Other areas of intervention include; enlightenment campaigns on environmental sanitation, refuse – disposal management, drug abuse, general hygiene and regular check of blood pressure and many others.

Corps members in the course of their assignments have also on several occasions identified disease – infested animals with a view to stopping the rural communities from consuming such animals that can be vectors of harmful bacteria and virus.

Interestingly, the Corps Pharmacists and Nurses posted to the rural areas assist in dispensing drugs effectively, as well as checking fake drugs in the Health Centres, and taking proper care of the patients in accordance with standard medical practice in conformity with COVID-19 protocols.

The gains derived from these campaigns are no doubt numerous, and cannot be quantified in monetary terms. Feedbacks across communities in the country indicate that the level of consciousness on COVID-19 is encouraging and reassuring.The rural dwellers do reach out to Corps members after the sensitisation exercises to seek further clarification on some emerging issues, or misconceptions about COVID-19. Such issues are promptly addressed by Corps members to the satisfaction of the people. For some of the rural dwellers, it is during such advocacy visits that they have the opportunity to interface with qualified medical doctors for the first time in their lives.

These interventions are increasingly consolidating and deepening government efforts in stemming the tide of community infections and effectively addressing COVID-19 pandemic in Nigeria.

Still in support of the battle against the scourge and going down to the specifics, a Corps member serving in Kano, Abdullahi Sani fabricated an automated hand wash machine that dispenses water and liquid soap. Similarly, in Oyo State, a group of Corps members comprising; Adeyanju Adeyemi, Afolabi Victor and Ogunmoye Victor jointly fabricated a hand wash machine for the same purpose. In Kwara State Corps members Abdulsalam Abubakar and Obiefuna Ebuka constructed dual – faced hand wash dispenser.

In Ondo State, Corps member Israel Arogbonlo donated his one month stipend to the State Government in support of the Government’s effort to raise funds for the fight against the pandemic

In Lagos State, Corps members have been engaged by the State Government in the distribution of palliatives. In addition to that, Corps members in Lagos Island and Eti-Osa 1 Local Government Areas, donated food items and other palliatives to cushion the effect of the lockdown imposed in the State to check the pandemic.

In the same vein, Corps members in Abua/Odual Local Government Area of Rivers State donated cartons of food packs and hand sanitisers to the Local Government Council to support the Government’s efforts in the war against the virus.

In Arewa Local Government Area of Kebbi State, Corps members focused on fumigation of the Local Government Council Secretariat Complex, Staff Quarters, Police Station and Corps Lodges in the area, so as to rid them of Coronavirus and harmful microscopic organisms.

In Osogbo, Osun State, a Corps member, Omolara Kolawole donated cartons of food items to the State Government, While, Kingsley Dimkpa of Ebonyi State Secretariat produced and donated sanitisers and antiseptic soaps to the Afikpo Local Government Council in support of the national effort to curb the pandemic.

In Zamfara State, Corps members under the Charity Community Development Service Group donated cartons of food, detergents and other sanitary items to Gusau Motherless Orphanage Home.

Also, in Niger State Corps member Wonah Sunday Owuche donated food packs and sanitary items to the Niger State Orphanage Home Minna.

In Jos the Plateau State Capital, Corps member Joy Chioma Anyaegbu produced and donated to the State Government sanitisers and liquid soap in support of the effort to check the spread of the virus.

It is interesting to note that Corps members in the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja, Gombe and Delta States were requested by their respective governments to mass produce face masks to meet the growing demand by the people.

In other states of the federation, several interventions by Corps members, tailored towards the battle are ongoing, ranging from the production and donation of hand sanitisers, liquid soap, face masks to strategic advocacy visits.

Over the years, the NYSC has served as a reliable stand – by partner of government at all levels, arising from its vantage position as a repository of sophisticated manpower, available across the length and breadth of communities in the country year-round. Notably, they are sufficiently detached from local local politics and prejudices. As such, they are the most suitable change agents driving the process of nation building.

Therefore, to develop the spirit of discipline and patriotism in the Corps members is not the duty of government alone. It should be a shared responsibility.

Consequently, the Scheme needs the concerted efforts and cooperation of all the tiers of government, in addition to host communities, corporate bodies and public – spirited individuals in order to sustain its steady growth and pivotal roles in national affairs.

Indeed, the NYSC remains a strategic institution and great asset to the nation. There is no gainsaying the fact that with the Scheme, the nation has put in place an enduring instrument of national cohesion and development, reckoned with, within and beyond the shores of Nigeria.

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Business

Turning Africa’s Raw Materials Into Wealth: The ARMS 2026 Industrial Agenda

Published

2 days ago

September 29, 2026

The Gleamer

By Joel Ajayi

For decades, Africa’s vast natural resources have powered industries and economies far beyond the continent, while many African countries have remained largely exporters of unprocessed commodities and importers of finished products.

That familiar pattern is now coming under renewed scrutiny as policymakers, researchers, investors and industrialists seek to change the direction of Africa’s resource economy.

At the centre of that conversation is the second edition of the Africa Raw Materials Summit (ARMS 2026), scheduled for October 19 and 20 at the Abuja Continental Hotel, Abuja, under the theme: “From African Feedstock to African Factories.”

Organised by the Raw Materials Research and Development Council (RMRDC), the summit is being positioned as more than another gathering of policymakers and industry stakeholders. It is intended to provide a platform for confronting the structural challenges that have kept African raw materials largely disconnected from local manufacturing.

Africa has for years operated largely within a “pit-to-port” economic model, exporting raw materials while importing expensive finished products.

Speaking at a press conference ahead of the summit on Tuesday in Abuja, the Director-General and Chief Executive Officer of RMRDC, Prof. Nnanyelugo Martin Ike-Muonso, said the event would bring together policymakers, investors, researchers, technology providers and industrialists to develop practical strategies for transforming Africa’s abundant natural resources into industrial wealth.

The challenge, therefore, is not simply the abundance of resources, but the continent’s ability to transform those resources into industrial value, employment, technology and wealth within Africa.

Nigeria alone, according to the RMRDC, has more than $582.4 billion in documented non-renewable natural resources, while the wider continent possesses substantial deposits of critical minerals, agricultural raw materials and industrial feedstock.

Yet, the benefits of this resource endowment have often been constrained by inadequate processing capacity, weak infrastructure, limited technology, financing gaps and fragmented regional value chains.

From Dialogue to Industrial Action

ARMS 2026 builds on the maiden edition held in May 2025, which attracted more than 1,000 delegates from across the world.

The inaugural summit also witnessed the unveiling of the Ten-Year Raw Materials Transformation Roadmap (2025–2034) by the Minister of State for Industry, Senator John Owen Enoh.

The roadmap was designed around areas including technological capability, climate-resilient processing and backward integration, establishing a policy framework for greater domestic utilisation of Africa’s raw materials.

The second edition is expected to move the conversation further by bringing policy, capital, technology and industrial stakeholders around practical mechanisms for turning raw materials into locally manufactured products.

One of the major proposals highlighted by the RMRDC is the 30 per cent Mandatory Value Addition Bill, which seeks to establish a statutory minimum level of value addition to Nigerian raw materials before export.

The Council says the proposed framework could support job creation, import substitution, foreign-exchange conservation and increased manufacturing contribution to the economy.

Building the Infrastructure for Value Addition

The industrial transformation envisaged by ARMS 2026 goes beyond legislation.

A major concern is the “missing middle” between where raw materials are produced and where factories are located.

Poor transportation networks, inadequate cold-chain facilities, weak rural roads, limited testing and certification infrastructure and border-related delays can make locally sourced materials more expensive and less competitive.

Consequently, logistics and infrastructure constitute one of the five principal pillars of the summit.

The objective is to develop more reliable corridors connecting farms and mines with processing centres and manufacturing facilities, thereby reducing losses and improving the movement of industrial inputs.

The Digital Dimension

Technology is also becoming an important part of the Council’s strategy.

The RMRDC says it has developed the Nigeria Integrated Information Statistical System for Raw Materials and Products (NISSRAMP), described as a digital repository containing information on feedstock deposits, specifications, production outputs and industrial absorption rates.

The Council has also highlighted its transition towards paperless operations and its certification as a Data Controller/Processor of Major Importance by the Nigeria Data Protection Commission.

Such digital infrastructure could provide investors and manufacturers with better information about the availability and characteristics of raw materials while supporting more informed industrial planning.

Turning Waste Into Industrial Inputs

Another major component of ARMS 2026 is the proposed expansion of the circular economy.

The summit will examine how agricultural by-products, mine tailings, scrap metals and biomass can be recovered and reused as inputs for new production processes rather than being treated simply as waste.

The RMRDC argues that such an approach could lower raw-material costs while supporting more sustainable and climate-resilient manufacturing systems.

For Africa, where industrial expansion must increasingly balance economic development with environmental considerations, waste industrialisation could become an important part of the continent’s manufacturing conversation.

From National Production to African Value Chains

The African Continental Free Trade Area is another important element of the summit’s agenda.

The RMRDC sees AfCFTA as an opportunity to create regional value chains in which raw materials sourced in one African country can be processed and supplied to manufacturers in another.

Under such a model, Africa would move beyond simply exporting commodities to external markets and develop stronger internal networks for supplying chemicals, refined minerals, agricultural inputs and other industrial materials across national borders.

This approach places regional integration at the heart of Africa’s industrialisation strategy.

Bridging Research and Capital

A recurring weakness in many developing economies is the gap between research and commercialisation.

Innovations may emerge from universities, research institutions and laboratories without receiving the financing, equipment or market connections required to become commercially viable.

ARMS 2026 intends to address that gap through technology commercialisation and capital linkages, connecting research outputs with investors, development finance institutions and industrial off-takers.

The RMRDC has also cited partnerships with the Bank of Industry for commercial-scale post-harvest processing and a South-South technology-transfer partnership with the National Innovation Centre par Excellence in Shanghai, China.

A Larger Industrial Conversation

The scale of ARMS 2026 is expected to be significantly larger than the maiden edition.

The organisers project more than 1,800 delegates from all 54 African countries and global industrial partners.

The programme will feature high-level policy dialogues, technical panels, an advanced raw materials and technology exhibition, industrial site visits and the African Raw Materials Industry Awards.

The exhibition, in particular, is expected to showcase locally fabricated processing machinery, advanced domestic materials, green chemicals and engineered commercial inputs.

Beyond the speeches and exhibitions, however, the real significance of ARMS 2026 will ultimately depend on what happens after the summit.

Africa’s challenge has never been a shortage of raw materials. The more difficult question has been how to transform those resources into factories, products, skilled employment, technology and sustainable economic opportunities.

For Nigeria and the rest of the continent, the proposed shift from “pit-to-port” to “feedstock-to-factory” therefore represents a broader debate about the future structure of African economies.

ARMS 2026 seeks to place that debate firmly on the industrial agenda — with value addition, technology, finance, infrastructure, circular production and regional trade at the centre.

If the commitments and partnerships generated by the summit translate into measurable industrial activity, the event could provide another platform for Africa to examine how its enormous resource base can support stronger domestic manufacturing.

The message from the organisers is clear: the continent’s raw materials should not only leave African soil as commodities; they should increasingly become the foundation for African industrial production

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