FCT MINISTER OF STATE, NYSC COORDINATOR CHARGE CORPS MEMBERS TO ACCEPT POSTINGS, EMBRACE DISCIPLINE AND ENTREPRENEURSHIP.
By: Darlington Omotoso and Obed Sambe.
The Minister of State for the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Dr. Mariya Mahmoud, has urged members of the 2026 Batch ‘B’ Stream 1 of the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) to embrace discipline, patriotism and entrepreneurship while accepting their postings in good faith and contributing meaningfully to national development.
The minister gave the charge at the closing ceremony of the orientation course held earlier on Tuesday, 30th June, 2026 at the NYSC Permanent Orientation Camp in Kubwa, Abuja, where she commended the corps members for their resilience, dedication and exemplary conduct throughout the three-week exercise.
Represented by the Acting Mandate Secretary of the FCT Youth and Sports Development Secretariat and Chairman of the NYSC FCT Governing Board, Mr. Istifanus Luka, Dr. Mahmoud described the orientation programme as a critical stage in preparing young graduates for national service and leadership responsibilities.
She noted that the corps members had been exposed to intellectual, physical and leadership training designed to equip them for productive service in their host communities and urged them to build on the values acquired during the orientation exercise.
“I am delighted to note the significant level of teamwork, discipline, resilience, dedication, and patriotism exhibited during the orientation course. You are expected to build on these qualities and take advantage of opportunities that will enable you to generate wealth and contribute to the development of our nation,” she said.
The minister encouraged the corps members to actively participate in the NYSC Skill Acquisition and Entrepreneurship Development (SAED) Programme, describing entrepreneurship as a practical pathway to self-reliance and a key tool in addressing youth unemployment.
She also advised them to maintain peaceful and developmental relationships with residents of their host communities, stressing that such engagements would enrich their service experience and strengthen national unity.
Dr. Mahmoud further reassured the corps members of the commitment of the Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA) to ensuring a safe and conducive environment for their service year. However, she cautioned them against unnecessary travel and urged them to remain security conscious at all times.
“Security of lives and property remains paramount in the agenda of the FCTA. Avoid unnecessary journeys and take every precaution necessary to remain safe,” she advised.
The minister also urged the young graduates to accept their postings without resistance, settle quickly in their places of primary assignment and deploy their talents toward building a more united, prosperous and egalitarian Nigeria.
Earlier, the FCT Coordinator of the NYSC, Mr. Samson Ateli, congratulated the corps members on the successful completion of the orientation course and praised them for displaying discipline, patriotism and resilience throughout the programme.
Ateli described the NYSC Scheme as a vital national institution that continues to promote peaceful coexistence, national integration and socio-economic development through the deployment of graduates to diverse communities across the country.
He expressed confidence that the virtues demonstrated by the corps members during the orientation exercise would be reflected in their conduct during the service year.
“I believe that these qualities you have exhibited will be carried over to your various places of primary assignment,” he said.
The coordinator warned corps members against deliberate acts aimed at inducing rejection from their places of primary assignment, stressing that such actions would attract sanctions in accordance with NYSC regulations.
He also advised them to avoid late-night journeys, remain vigilant about their security and take full advantage of post-camp SAED training opportunities to improve their employability and entrepreneurial capacity.
Ateli appealed to employers across the FCT to facilitate the early acceptance and integration of corps members to enable them settle quickly and commence their national service without delay.
He commended Dr. Mahmoud for her unwavering support for the NYSC scheme in the FCT and expressed appreciation to camp officials, collaborating agencies and stakeholders whose contributions ensured the successful conduct of the orientation exercise.
The ceremony formally marked the end of the 2026 Batch ‘B’ Stream 1 Orientation Course, with corps members expected to proceed to their various places of primary assignment across the Federal Capital Territory for the mandatory one-year national service.
