The Director-General of the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC), Brigadier General Olakunle Nafiu, on Tuesday, urged the Scheme’s legal officers to provide sound guidance to management, particularly during crucial decision-making moments, to ensure strict compliance with statutory provisions.

The Director General of National Youth Service Corps, Brigadier General Olakunle Nafiu, disclosed this in Abuja, during a one-day Capacity Enhancement Training for Legal Officers, an annual event aligned with his administration’s policy thrust.

Nafiu said the training, which was an annual event aligned with the policy thrust of his administration,

“Strengthening the NYSC Scheme to Better Meet the Evolving Needs of Contemporary Nigerian Society and Ensure its Future Relevance.”

He urged the workshop participants to utilise the training to enhance their capacity and knowledge in professional roles, thereby broadening their skills for more effective service delivery.

The Director General commended the Legal Unit of the Scheme for diligently handling the Scheme’s litigations, including the effective coordination and supervision of the Corps Legal Aid Scheme (CLAS), which is one of the most impactful projects under the NYSC Community Development Service (CDS).

He said: “I charge you all to build on the achievements by redoubling your efforts in the performance of your duties. I want to use this medium to commend officers who have been instrumental in the achievements recorded in the area of legal representation.

“However, I urge you not to rest on your oars, with regard to rendering objective legal advice and quality representation to the Scheme.”

In a statement by NYSC’s Director of Information and Public Relations, Caroline Embu, Nafiu further tasked the legal officers to leverage emerging technology, remain updated on global best practices, and equip themselves for more effective service delivery.

He promised Management’s support that would enable the legal unit to achieve its mandate, including necessary work tools that would aid the performance of all Legal Officers nationwide.

In his remarks, the Director, Legal Services, Barrister Chris Ogar, said that the theme of the workshop, “Optimising the Capacity of National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) Legal Officers for more effective service to the Scheme”, was chosen to deepen the knowledge and also enhance the professional competence of the Scheme’s Legal Officers with up-to-date knowledge.

He added that the training would also serve as a platform for learning and exposure to best practices in legal service delivery.

Participants at the workshop were Legal Officers drawn from the 36 States, the FCT Secretariat and the National Directorate Headquarters.