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Corps Member Leads War Against Open Defecation, Donates Toilets Facility to Dakwa Community
…1,000 women to enjoy free genotyping and blood grouping
Joel Ajayi
While others are using their allowees to purchase unnecessary things, a kindhearted Youth Corps Member, Dr. Vincent Emmanuel Chidera, has decided to use his own to ameliorate the suffering of people by donating a 4-unit toilet facility to the Dakwa community in Dei-Dei, in the Federal Capital Territory.
The facility will no doubt help more than 60 Almajiri children who resorted to open defecation because of lack of adequate toilet facilities.
Not only that, in partnership with Dr. Chidera’s Place of Primary Assignment, 1000 women of reproductive age group 15-49 in the communities will enjoy free genotyping and blood grouping.
Dr. Chidera is from the South-East, born and bred in the North, schooled in the South, and currently serving at the EL-HUSSAN Specialist Hospital in Dei-Dei in Abuja.
However, the commissioning of the Community Development Service Project of Dr. Chidera attracted the attention of NYSC Headquarter and the FCT chapter as they were all physically present to grace the occasion.
While commissioning the project, the National Youth Service Corps NYSC, Director General, Brig. Gen Shuaibu Ibrahim applauded the young man for the laudable initiative, he then called on all the corps members to borrow a leaf from the character of Dr. Chidera by making themselves relevant in their community development toward the growth and development of their father’s land.
NYSC Boss said that the construction of the toilet was timely as it would help to prevent so many airborne diseases, more so as Coronavirus ravaged the world.
He said; “During the beginning of COVID-19 pandemic, we have to suspend our mobilization but corps members were mobilized nationwide to contribute to the fight and when the history of those corps members who fought and still fighting Pandemic Dr. Chidera will be mention because he contributes immensely; he produces face mask anytime you need corps members in FCT is always there.
“So, when I was invited to commissioning of this project, I have to spare time to come because it’s not just the magnitude of this structure but the spirit behind it.
“I want to call on all the corps members to borrow a leaf from the character of Dr. Chidera to add value to those communities. NYSC always provides a platform to corps members and for those of them that are very serious and make maximum use of the opportunities the sky is always their limit. I once again congratulate Dr. Chidera and I wish you the best in life.”
He thanked the community forgiven the corps members an enabling environment for them to provide the project.
In her welcome address, NYSC FCT Coordinator Hajia Wlida Siddique Isa commended the donor adding that the project will further reduce open defecation in the community.
According to her, this brief even is in furtherance of our commitment to providing solution to societal issues and contributing our quota to community and national development
“We sincerely hope that this facility will go a long way in reducing the impact of open defecation within the Dakwa community and her offspring. I, therefore, enjoin the leaders and of course the youths of this community to ensure that this facility is properly and fully secured.”
Speaking at the venue, Dr. Chidera, a 2020 Batch A corps member, who provided the facility said that there was the need for other well-meaning Nigerians to come to the aid of the community in providing other facilities that would give the community a facelift.
A kindhearted Youth Corps Member, Dr. Vincent Emmanuel Chidera Giving Brief of the Project.
According to him, I decided to solve the problems by building the toilet.
“My posting to serve in this community came with a great delight, and I had set my heart to touch as many lives as I could; the pandemic and stringent economic difficulties, notwithstanding. Few weeks into my posting, I had noticed a trend, which to me, was of epidemiological significance; A good number of all the under-5 children which I managed, presented with a similar set of GI symptoms and were weighing below the expected weight for their age and sex.
“This observation prompted the epidemiological survey that landed me in this compound the very first time I came here. I had seen over five other similar settlements around the community, where Almajiri children are housed but without a convenience.
“I was particularly drawn to this very one because of the population density; having 65 children between the ages of 5- 18, clustered in a 3- room 12x 12 apartments, without a convenience, was nothing less than suicide, so I thought.
“So, I decided that something urgent must be done before the next rainy season. Though the prevailing economic situation made things extremely difficult, but I’m glad, with the support of the children, we were able to put together, something a little more convenient than our gutters.
“Finally, 5 months ago, we had admitted and managed a 16year old Sickle Cell Disease patient, who was weighing less than 10kg and was in severe pains, pains which she had innocently suffered for over a decade because her parents were either unaware or choose to throw the knowledge to the abyss. After an interaction with over 50 patients, I realized, a good number of them knew what genotype was, but has never had one done.
“In partnership with my Place of Primary Assignment, we decided to run a free genotyping and blood grouping program for 1000 persons in the community over a period of two months. That project was completed successfully, but the result was mind-boggling. Almost 30% of the Sample population had the Sickle Cell Trait. By implication, 1 out of every 4 women in Dakwa, had the Sickle Cell trait and must not marry a man with the trait. These are pressing societal issues that must be given attention.”
While giving the vote of thanks, the Village Head of Dakwa community Alhaji Yahaya Ajiya, called on stakeholders to come into the community to upgrade the educational standard that will help the community at large.
Featured
NELFUND: The Renewed Hope Engine Propelling Nigeria’s Youth into Tomorrow
By Dayo Israel, National Youth Leader, APC
As the National Youth Leader of the All Progressives Congress, I have spent most of my tenure fighting for a Nigeria where every young person, regardless of their ward or local government, family income, or circumstance, can chase dreams without the chains of financial despair.
Today, that fight feels like victory, thanks to the Nigerian Education Loan Fund (NELFUND). Launched as a cornerstone of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda, this initiative isn’t just a policy tweak; it’s a revolution. And under the steady, visionary hand of Managing Director Akintunde Sawyerr, NELFUND has transformed from a bold promise into a roaring engine of opportunity, disbursing over ₦116 billion to more than 396,000 students and shattering barriers for over a million applicants.
Let’s be clear: NELFUND was always destined to be a game-changer. Signed into law by President Tinubu on April 3, 2024, it repealed the outdated 2023 Student Loan Act, replacing it with a modern, inclusive framework that covers tuition, upkeep allowances, and even vocational training—ensuring no Nigerian youth is left on the sidelines of progress.
But what elevates it from groundbreaking to generational? Leadership. Enter Akintunde Sawyerr, the diplomat-turned-executioner whose career reads like a blueprint for results-driven governance. From co-founding the Agricultural Fresh Produce Growers and Exporters Association of Nigeria (AFGEAN) in 2012—backed by icons like former President Olusegun Obasanjo and Dr. Akinwumi Adesina—to steering global logistics at DHL across 21 countries, Sawyerr brings a rare alchemy: strategic foresight fused with unyielding accountability.
As NELFUND’s pioneer MD, he’s turned a fledgling fund into a finely tuned machine, processing over 1 million applications since May 2024 and disbursing ₦116 billion—₦61.33 billion in institutional fees and ₦46.35 billion in upkeep—to students in 231 tertiary institutions nationwide. That’s not bureaucracy; that’s brilliance.
Sawyerr’s touch is everywhere in NELFUND’s ascent. Since the portal’s launch, he’s overseen a digital ecosystem that’s as transparent as it is efficient—seamless verification, BVN-linked tracking, and real-time dashboards that have quashed misinformation and built trust. In just 18 months, the fund has empowered 396,252 students with interest-free loans, many first-generation learners who might otherwise have dropped out.
Sensitization drives in places like Ekiti and Ogun have spiked applications — 12,000 in a single day in one instance, while expansions to vocational centers in Enugu pilot the next wave of skills-based funding. And amid challenges like data mismatches and fee hikes, Sawyerr’s team has iterated relentlessly: aligning disbursements with academic calendars, resuming backlogged upkeep payments for over 3,600 students, and even probing institutional compliance to safeguard every kobo. This isn’t management; it’s mastery—a man who doesn’t just lead but launches futures.
Yet, none of this happens in a vacuum. President Tinubu’s alliance with trailblazers like Sawyerr is the secret sauce securing Nigeria’s tomorrow. The President’s Renewed Hope Agenda isn’t rhetoric; it’s resources—₦100 billion seed capital channeled into a system that prioritizes equity over elitism. Together, they’ve forged a partnership where vision meets velocity: Tinubu’s bold repeal of barriers meets Sawyerr’s boots-on-the-ground execution, turning abstract policy into tangible triumphs. It’s a synergy that’s non-discriminatory by design—Christians, Muslims, every tribe and tongue united in access—fostering national cohesion through classrooms, not courtrooms.
As Sawyerr himself notes, this is “visionary leadership” in action, where the President’s political will ignites reforms that ripple across generations.
Why does this matter to us, Nigeria’s youth? Because NELFUND isn’t handing out handouts—it’s handing out horizons. In a country where 53% of us grapple with unemployment, these loans aren’t just funds; they’re fuel for innovation, entrepreneurship, and endurance.
Picture it: A first-generation polytechnic student in Maiduguri, once sidelined by fees, now graduates debt-free (repayments start two years post-NYSC, employer-deducted for ease) and launches a tech startup. Or a vocational trainee in Enugu, equipped with skills funding, revolutionizing local agriculture. This is quality education that endures—not fleeting certificates, but lifelong launchpads. Sawyerr’s focus on human-centered design ensures loans cover not just books, but bread—upkeep stipends of ₦20,000 monthly keeping hunger at bay so minds can soar. Under his watch, NELFUND has debunked doubts, refuted fraud claims, and delivered results that scream sustainability: Over ₦99.5 billion to 510,000 students by September, with 228 institutions on board.
As youth leaders, we see NELFUND for what it is: A covenant with our future. President Tinubu and MD Sawyerr aren’t just allies; they’re architects of an educated, empowered Nigeria—one where poverty’s grip loosens with every approved application, and innovation blooms from every funded desk. This isn’t charity; it’s an investment in the 70 million of us who will lead tomorrow.
We’ve crossed one million applications not because of luck, but leadership—a duo that’s turning “access denied” into “future unlocked.”
To President Tinubu: Thank you for daring to dream big and backing it with action.
To Akintunde Sawyerr: You’re the executor we needed, proving that one steady hand can steady a nation.
And to every Nigerian youth: Apply. Graduate. Conquer.
Because with NELFUND, your generation isn’t just surviving—it’s thriving, enduring, and eternal.
The Renewed Hope isn’t a slogan; it’s our story, now written in scholarships and success. Let’s keep turning the page.
Dayo Israel is the National Youth Leader of the All Progressives Congress (APC).
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