[Adesewa]

   
Brigadier General Suleiman Kazaure, the current Director-General of the NYSC now seems determined to up the ante in the light of Nigeria’s current realities and the need to maximise the energy and resourcefulness of Nigeria’s young people.
This explains why the new policy for mass posting of youth corps members to farms and other agriculture related ventures has been so well received. This development is the most appropriate response for these times when Nigeria’s revenue base needs diversification away from finite oil and its attendant price volatility. That is aside the environmental impact that comes with oil production. Agriculture, a constantly renewable revenue source and for which Nigeria has comparative advantage, must be pursued with sustained vigour.
Brigadier General Kazaure said the NYSC was “starting with four states for now” while other states would be integrated in the very near future. It is heartening to see that in Bauchi, one of the pilot states, a 145-hectare land has already been acquired for the purpose of cultivating cowpea and maize while modern agricultural equipment has also been deployed to ensure the corps members become familiar with modern ways of farming that ensure optimized yield per hectare.
The only thing one would like to add is that although the NYSC DG said only corps members from relevant disciplines would be deployed to the farms, this writer believes that the posting should be more embracing. While those from core Agric related courses should make up the bulk of those on the farms, corps members from other disciplines who signify interest in farming should also be mobilized for the effort.