The Director-General of the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC), Brigadier General Olakunle Nafiu, has reaffirmed that all Corps Members are covered by a comprehensive insurance package throughout their service year.
Speaking in Abuja during a courtesy visit by the Director-General of Voice of Nigeria, Mallam Jibrin Baba Ndace, Nafiu said the package included both life insurance and medical care.
He stressed that the Federal Government has put in place adequate measures to ensure a safe and rewarding service experience for Corps Members, noting that the scheme also provided special interventions for ailments not covered under standard health insurance.
The NYSC boss cited instances where the scheme spent ₦28 million to save a pregnant Corps Member and her unborn child following a spinal cord injury sustained in a road accident, as well as ₦33 million to procure prosthetic arms for another Corps Member injured while travelling to his place of primary assignment.
“Since 2004, every Corps Member has been covered by comprehensive insurance, including health and life insurance. The National Health Insurance Authority caters for Corps Members whenever they fall ill,” Nafiu said.
He added that Corps Members are insured from the moment their call-up letters are issued, even before they begin their journey to orientation camps.
Nafiu cautioned against the spread of unverified reports about the scheme and urged journalists to always verify information with the NYSC before publication.
He further explained that the deployment policy of the scheme is structured to meet national needs, ensuring equitable distribution of Corps Members across states, particularly in critical sectors such as healthcare and education.
According to him, Corps Members have continued to play vital roles in national assignments, including elections, sensitisation campaigns, and population census exercises efforts that have earned both local and international commendation.
The DG also assured that Corps Members would not be posted to unsafe areas, reiterating that the scheme remains apolitical and non-religious in its operations to sustain national unity.
Earlier,Malam Ndace congratulated Nafiu on his appointment and commended his leadership, noting that Voice of Nigeria is partnering with international media organisations to promote positive narratives about the country.
He pledged the agency’s support in projecting NYSC activities globally through youth-focused programming and strategic content development, adding that the organisation currently broadcasts in eight Nigerian languages.
