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NYSC Warns Foreign Institutions Against Fake Mobilization

Published

3 years ago

November 23, 2023

Joel Ajayi

The Director General of National Youth Service Corps, Brigadier General YD Ahmed has stated that the Scheme would continue to prevent unqualified persons from participating in National Service.

He said NYSC programme aims at remodelling the Nigerian youths for national unity and development through inculcation of values such as discipline, honesty, probity, accountability, hardwork, entrepreneurship and self reliance.

He disclosed this on Wednesday in his address at the meeting of NYSC Management with some Corps Producing Institutions in Africa, with the theme; “Tackling the Emerging Challenges in Mobilization of Foreign-Trained Graduates For Effective National Service”, held in Abuja.

General Ahmed added that instead of building world-class graduates in both character and learning and in consonance with the ideals of NYSC, the tendency by school owners to cut corners and maximize financial gain takes the centre stage, leading to antithetical production of graduates.

“It is expected that, from 2024 Batch ‘A’ service year, collection of masterlist of graduates would be extended to schools in Niger Republic, Cameroun, Ghana, and Uganda, which constitutes about 20% of graduates from the African continent.
The exercise would be extended to cover countries identified with high vulnerability to faking of academic and travel documents”, he said.

The Director General also said the Scheme is doing its best to check the activities of dishonest people adding that the fight against unwholesome practices in the educational sector must be a collective responsibility.

General Ahmed stated further that as part of the measures to overcome the challenges in the mobilization of foreign-trained Nigerian graduates, all schools in Benin Republic, Togo, Cameroun and Niger shall henceforth be submitting project-bound master-list of their graduates to the NYSC every service year.

He said the practice has been available for schools in Nigeria for a number of decades and has proved very useful.

The Director, Corps Mobilization, Hajiya Walida Siddique Isa in her introductory address disclosed that the Scheme would continue to engage countries operating academic systems which manifests elements of deviance from the global best practices and the NYSC established mobilization protocols.

During the meeting, there were goodwill messages from the National Universities Commission (NUC), Federal Ministry of Education and Federal Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

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AWESSA 2026: Customs Assures Border Cooperation for Women Entrepreneurs

Published

23 hours ago

October 25, 2026

The Gleamer

By James Samuel, Abuja

The Nigeria Customs Service has said the nation’s borders must become gateways of opportunity for African women entrepreneurs, not obstacles that kill their businesses.

This was disclosed at the African Women’s Economic Sovereignty Summit and Awards (AWESSA) 2026 held at the Customs House, corporate headquarters of the Nigeria Customs Service in Abuja.

Representing the Comptroller-General of Customs, Bashir Adewale Adeniyi, MFR, his representative, an Assistant Controller, said hosting the summit inside Customs premises was deliberate.

“That this summit holds within the Customs premises is no accident. It is a statement of intent,” he said.

“The border is where the promise of every African trader either comes alive or dies quietly. And the men and women of this Service have resolved that for every woman entrepreneur of this continent, that promise will never die.”

He said women account for an estimated 70% of informal cross-border trade in Africa and over half of agricultural labour, yet they face documentation, standards, finance and harassment challenges.

“Too often she meets the border as an obstacle rather than a gateway. Because she trades in small volumes, in cash, in informality without formal papers, capable business women are now trapped in informality, invisible to trade statistics,” he noted.

He added: “AfCFTA will not be delivered by treaties alone. It will be delivered at border posts, in conference halls, and in market stores.”

Also speaking, the Executive Director of the Nigerian Export Promotion Council, Mrs. Nonye Ayeni, represented by a Director, said women are central to Nigeria’s non-oil export sector.

According to her, NEPC’s focus is now on building export- ready competitive enterprises through programmes like the Women in Export Initiative, Export Clinic, and Zero to Export.

“Our focus is no longer on encouraging exports alone, it is on building competitive export-ready enterprises. We are supporting women to move beyond production into value addition, quality assurance, standard compliance, branding and market positioning,” she said.

She said AfCFTA offers a market of over one billion people, but women need knowledge, certifications and institutional support.

“Empowering women economically is one of the most effective tools for achieving poverty reduction, food security, job creation and inclusive growth,” she stated.

The Convener, Helen Okon, who is the Publisher of Business Review Africa & Africa Today Magazine, as well as representatives of NAFDAC DG and NEXIM Bank MD, reaffirmed commitment to supporting women-owned businesses access standards, certification and finance.

The summit, with the theme of positioning women as drivers of trade and sustainable development, is part of activities marking the International Year of the Women Farmer.

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