News
World Bank to Partner NYSC On Corps Empowerment
Joel Ajayi
In it’s efforts towards reducing the increasing number of unemployed youths in the country, the World Bank has indicated interest to partner with the National Youth Service Corps.
It said the Scheme’s achievements over the past fifty-one years, through the deployment of graduate youths across the country has transformed the development landscape of many rural areas.
The Country Director of World Bank, Ndiame Diop, stated this on Tuesday when he led a team on a courtesy visit to the NYSC National Directorate Headquarters in Maitama, Abuja,
He stated further that Corps Members’ efforts in national unity, cohesion and socio-economic development of the country cannot be underestimated.
He lauded the successive batches of Corps Members for reducing the infant and maternal mortality rates in the country.
“The World Bank is interested in supporting NYSC on its developmental strides”, he added.
In his remarks, the Director General of National Youth Service Corps, Brigadier General YD Ahmed lauded the existing synergy between the Scheme and World Bank which has enhanced staff capacity building.
He said Corps Members have tremendously participated in several National assignments like election, population census, sensitization programmes, immunization etc at different times, adding that; “Corps Members are available in all the 774 Local Government Areas in the country”.
The Director General also disclosed that NYSC introduced Skills Acquisition and Entrepreneurship Development into its Orientation Course in year 2012 in order to empower Corps Members with vocational skills that can make them employers of labour.
He said more than Two Million Corps Members have participated in the Skill Acquisition training, while about 600,000 among them have set up their thriving businesses in different locations across the country.
General Ahmed added that Management has partnered with many organizations like the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Bank of Industry (BoI), Access Bank, Unity Bank, Wema Bank, NNPC Foundation among others, which offer loans to Corps Members to start their businesses.
He however disclosed that some Orientation Camps do not have standard Skill Acquisition Training Centres while the start-up capital for Corps Members is also grossly inadequate.
“If the World Bank partners with us, we will be better in what we are doing to reduce youth unemployment”, the DG added.
News
PSIN Administrator Commends Yobe Government for Championing Leadership Continuity and Institutional Sustainability
Cyril Igele
The Administrator and Chief Executive Officer of the Public Service Institute of Nigeria (PSIN), Barrister Imeh Okon, has applauded the Yobe State Government for its strong commitment to leadership continuity and sustainable governance through strategic investment in human capital development.
Barrister Okon gave the commendation at the opening of a Management Retreat for Yobe State Permanent Secretaries, held at the PSIN headquarters in Abuja.
The retreat, themed “Succession Planning, Leadership Continuity, and Institutional Sustainability in the Yobe State Public Service,” convened senior bureaucrats and resource persons to discuss strategies for strengthening leadership and governance within the state’s civil service.
In her remarks, the PSIN Administrator praised Governor Mai Mala Buni for his foresight and partnership in prioritizing public sector training and capacity development. She described the theme of the retreat as both “timely and visionary,” emphasizing that institutions endure only when leadership is continuous, knowledge is shared, and systems—not individuals—drive performance.
“Institutions thrive not merely on structures or policies, but on the deliberate cultivation of capable leaders who can sustain progress across generations,” she said. “By prioritizing leadership continuity and institutional resilience, Yobe State is leading by example.”
Barrister Okon reiterated PSIN’s mandate to build a competent, ethical, and innovative public service capable of delivering tangible results to citizens. She stressed that effective succession planning must be anchored in continuous training, mentorship, and exposure to emerging governance trends.
Citing best practices from Singapore and the United Kingdom, Okon noted that successful public service systems deliberately identify and nurture potential leaders through structured talent pipelines and transparent career development programmes. According to her, Yobe State’s initiative reflects its readiness to sustain excellence in governance.
She also highlighted PSIN’s flagship programmes—SMART-P, which builds administrative and technical capacity; LEAD-P, designed to groom emerging leaders; and the Exit from Service Masterclass, which prepares officers for life after service. Okon urged the Yobe Government to adopt the Exit Masterclass into its human resource framework to ensure a smooth transition for retirees, preserve institutional knowledge, and promote productivity through entrepreneurship and consultancy.
“Succession planning is not an event but a culture that must be institutionalised at every level of public administration,” she added. “When we prepare successors in advance and invest in continuous learning, we guarantee the sustainability of reforms and consistency in governance.”
Declaring the retreat open, the Acting Head of Service of Yobe State, Alhaji Abdullahi Shehu, reaffirmed Governor Buni’s commitment to building a results-driven and high-performing public service.
Represented by the Permanent Secretary, Public Service, Alhaji Shehu, the Acting Head of Service expressed gratitude to God and lauded PSIN as the “mother institution of public service learning.” He stated that Governor Buni has consistently directed the Office of the Head of Service to promote seamless succession planning and capacity building to enhance efficiency and accountability across government institutions.
“In line with this directive, we have brought the top echelon of the state civil service to PSIN—being the drivers and core implementers of government policies and programmes—to strengthen continuity and sustainability in our reforms,” he said.
He urged participants to fully engage in the retreat, share experiences, and cascade the knowledge gained to officers across ministries, departments, and agencies. The exercise, he explained, forms part of a deliberate strategy to institutionalize effective succession planning within the Yobe State Civil Service, thereby ensuring sustained productivity and improved service delivery to citizens.
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