The National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) has reaffirmed its commitment to combating Gender-Based Violence (GBV) and promoting gender equality across Nigeria, especially at the grassroots level.
Brigadier General Olakunle Nafiu, Director General of NYSC, made the declaration on Wednesday during the launch of the first phase of a gender sensitisation and advocacy campaign in Bauchi.
The initiative, targeted at rural communities in the northern region, aims to educate and mobilise Nigerians against GBV and gender inequality.
Represented by the NYSC Bauchi State Coordinator, Rifkatu Yakubu, the DG explained that the campaign is a product of the Reforms Coordination and Service Improvement Department of the scheme and will utilise Corps members in the Gender Vanguard Community Development Service (CDS) groups as agents of change across Nigeria’s 774 Local Government Areas.
“This effort is to expose the societal harm caused by gender-based violence and inequality,” Nafiu stated, adding that the initiative goes beyond female-focused advocacy and seeks to address the rights, responsibilities, and roles of all genders.
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“No one should be denied the opportunity to fulfill their potential,” he said, while appealing for more support from stakeholders, communities, and institutions.
The DG also highlighted the NYSC’s ongoing efforts in the fight against GBV, including the creation of Gender Clubs in schools and providing victims with access to support through a Federal Ministry of Women Affairs toll-free line.
Speaking at the event, student representative Hafsat Yusuf lauded the campaign’s impact. “We’ve learned how to speak out and report abuse. I’ll definitely share this knowledge with my friends both in school and at home,” she said.
The NYSC says it will continue to collaborate with partners to strengthen gender mainstreaming efforts nationwide, using Corps members as foot soldiers in the national fight against GBV.