The United Nations Assistant Secretary General for Youth Affairs, Felipe Paullier, has described the National Youth Service Corps as a critical agent of Nigeria's youth development, lending the weight of a senior UN official to an institution that has long held a central place in the country's national identity.

Paullier made the remarks at the flag off of the NYSC Health Initiative for Rural Dwellers at the Kabusa community in the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja, during an official visit to Nigeria centred on advancing the youth agenda through engagement with key organisations and youth representatives. "I have interacted with many young and old Nigerians who are proud of their NYSC experiences," he said, commending the scheme's consistent free medical interventions in rural communities as a contribution to building a better world.

The NYSC Director General, Brigadier General Olakunle Nafiu, told the UN official that since the Health Initiative for Rural Dwellers was launched in 2014, more than five million Nigerians have benefited from the free medical outreach. This year, the scheme projects to reach approximately 45,000 people across rural communities nationwide, aided by two brand new mobile clinics donated by Nigeria's First Lady, Senator Oluremi Tinubu. The Director General thanked the First Lady for what he described as a visionary and generous contribution to the programme.

General Nafiu also disclosed that the scheme plans to expand the scope of the HIRD programme to include free minor surgeries for rural dwellers, marking a significant step beyond consultations and treatment. He framed the initiative within the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals framework, noting its contributions to SDG 3 on good health and well being and SDG 1 on ending poverty by reducing the financial burden of healthcare on vulnerable households.

The Acting Director of Community Development Service and Special Projects, Mrs Funmilayo Ajayi, outlined the range of services offered during the two day outreach, including health sensitisation, medical consultations, laboratory tests, scanning, eye care, free medications and referrals. A corps medical doctor, Else Ibrahim, delivered a health talk and interpreted all key messages into Gbagyi, the local language of the Kabusa community. The traditional leader of Kabusa, Chief Samuel A. Kpowu, expressed gratitude to the NYSC for bringing the service to his people, describing it as the first of its kind in the community.

The outreach was supported by two partner organisations, Genlab and Doc.roa, led by Ebozoje Deogratias Segun, and the Rabiu Olowo Foundation, represented by its General Manager, Dr Ayomide Adebayo. A key highlight of the event was the formal launching and inspection of the two mobile clinics by the UN Assistant Secretary General alongside the NYSC Director General.

Twelve years after its founding, the Health Initiative for Rural Dwellers has quietly become one of the most tangible expressions of what the NYSC stands for beyond its formal service mandate, and the presence of a senior United Nations official at its latest flag off is a recognition that what corps members are doing in Nigeria's rural communities is not just national service. It is development work by any global standard.