Corps members serving in Edo State have been called upon to embrace their roles as catalysts for civic transformation and national renewal.
The charge was delivered by Dr. Frances Ben-Ushie, State Coordinator of the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC), during a one-day capacity-building workshop held in Benin City.
The event, themed “Youth Civic Engagement and National Re-orientation: Empowering CDS Leaders as Frontrunners of Change,” was organized in partnership with the Florish Foundation for Women and Youths.
It brought together Corps Liaison Officers (CLOs) and Community Development Service (CDS) leaders for an intensive session on leadership, innovation, and legacy building.
Ben-Ushie reminded participants of the NYSC’s founding mission in 1973—to foster unity and healing in post-civil war Nigeria. She emphasized that 52 years later, the responsibility to uphold that vision now rests with the youth. “Our nation stands at a crossroads,” she said.
“True strength lies not in numbers, but in clarity of purpose and the courage to reshape society.” she added.
She urged corps members to see civic engagement not as a duty, but as a transformative act.
“Whether you’re teaching with passion, leading health campaigns, planting trees, or educating peers about drug abuse—these are not just tasks. They are enduring acts of leadership,” she said.
In her presentation titled “Understanding the NYSC and the Roles of CDS in Community Transformation,” Ben-Ushie described CLOs and CDS leaders as the backbone of civic coordination.
“You are the mobilisers, the guides, the ones who set the tone for responsible citizenship,” she noted.
She encouraged them to lead with vision, collaborate across boundaries, and always ask, “What legacy will I leave behind?”
Waheed Ozeto, NYSC Service Innovation Officer, also addressed the gathering, focusing on the theme “Innovation and Collaboration in Community Development Service.”
He emphasized that resilience and the willingness to fail are essential traits of innovators.
“Every setback carries the seed of a breakthrough,” he said. “To create something new, you must become someone new.”
Ozeto likened the corps members’ leadership journey to an aircraft defying gravity, urging them to embrace transformation and harness their inner creative force.
Pastor Funsho Akin-Ojo, speaking on “Leaving a Legacy in Host Communities,” encouraged corps members to use their service year to make lasting contributions.
He emphasized that the CDS platform offers a unique opportunity to leave behind meaningful change in the communities they serve.
The workshop concluded with a renewed commitment from corps leaders to act as torchbearers of civic responsibility, innovation, and national unity—echoing the NYSC’s enduring mission to build a stronger, more inclusive Nigeria.
