Obaba Museum

It’s October 1, 1972 a beautiful Sunday morning, of course it’s also independence day in Nigeria and over two years since the end of the Civil war which sought to disintegrate the nation. The wounds from the 30 months war are still fresh and mutual suspicion abounds amongst the various ethnicities despite the Head of states famous declaration – ‘No Victor, no vanquished’. Gowon however goes a step further to launch the three Rs – Reconciliation, Rehabilitation and Reconstruction. Adebayo Adedeji, an economist and academic who had already become full-fledged Professor at the age of 36 years, had already been appointed as Nigeria’s Federal Commissioner for Economic Development & Reconstruction last year. One major recommendation he makes to the Federal Military Government is the launching of a mandatory service to the nation modelled on the American Peace Corps with the sole aim of fostering national integration. Today this recommendation features in the Head of State’s Independence Day speech as he announces that as part of the initiatives of the three Rs, a mandatory one year service for graduates would be introduced.
Fast forward to Monday, the 4th June 1973, General Yakubu Gowon addresses the management of the National Youth Service Corps which had been introduced the previous month by Decree No 24 of May 22, 1973.

“It has been generally accepted that if Nigeria is to make rapid progress on all fronts internally, and if she is to make her mark on the continent of Africa, and indeed, in the community of Nations, then her youths must be fully mobilised and be prepared to offer, willingly and without asking for rewards in return, their best in the service of their nation at all times. I wish to assure you, Mr. Chairman and Members of the Directorate of the National Youth Service Corps, of the full support and co-operation of all the Governments in the Federation in all your undertakings. Yours is not an easy assignment and the whole world will watch to see what you make of this bold and challenging venture. God willing you will not fail. I wish you the very best of luck, success and God’s blessings. Thank you.”
Col. Ahmadu Ali immediately assumes responsibility as the first Director-General of the Scheme and is tasked with the responsibility of going around the higher institutions to calm the protesting students. The announcement of the new scheme had been accompanied by widespread protests by parents and wards. The next month, Monday the 2nd of July, the first set of Corp members comprising 2,364 graduates drawn from the existing universities (University of Ibadan, University of Ife, now Obafemi Awolowo University, University of Nigeria, Ahmadu Bello University, and University of Lagos).
Fifty years later the scheme mobilizes an average of 350,000 eligible Prospective Corp Members every year thereby making it the biggest youth mobilization agency in Africa. It has been a template for other African youth schemes such as the Gambia National Youth Service Scheme (GNYSS) launched on Friday, the 26th January 1996 with the assistance of Directorate members from the NYSC. Fifty years later, despite numerous criticism against the scheme, it has remained one of the greatest tool for unification and National integration among Nigerian Youths.