The Director General made reiteration in his address read during the 2025 first quarter NYSC Health Initiative for Rural Dwellers, HIRD, programme held at Imafon community in Akure North local government area of Ondo State.

Nafiu stated that NYSC decided to bring out the HIRD programme with the aim of mobilising volunteer Corps Medical Personnel to rural communities to give adequate medical attention to rural dwellers, who ordinarily might not have access to such as a result of neglect and remoteness of their location.

The one star General said that his focus was to reposition the scheme and make it be at the forefront of addressing the hazard occasioned by health challenges and inadequacies faced by citizens and residents of rural communities nationwide.

“I, therefore beseech the community dwellers and its environs to seize the opportunity of this programme to improve their health status, as this will lead to drastic reduction in the cases of untimely deaths among you. This will equally enhance the health care of the beneficiaries.”

He charged them to feel free to discuss any of their confidential health related challenges with corps medical personnel that will be attending to them in the course of the exercise, while assuring them that the management of the scheme had brought competent, tested and experienced professionals to their doorstep.

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The Director General who was represented by the NYSC Ondo State Coordinator, Mrs. Kuburat Omowumi Bakare, appreciated all those behind the success of the event, saying that their unwavering support and commitment in diverse ways had continued to sustain the programme over the years.

The State NYSC Governing Board Chairman who was represented by the Director,  Youth Development in the Ministry of Youth and Sports Development, Mrs. Catherine Okukpe, disclosed that the quarterly programme was organised to promote the well-being of people at the grassroots by competent corps medical personnel who give standard and topnotch free medical services to citizens and residents of benefitting communities.

The chairman said that the government of Ondo State was appreciative of the gesture which he said was seen as an extension of the government policy of healthcare for all and sundry.

The chairman pledged to strengthen the partnership with the NYSC scheme and seek ways to expand its reach and enable more people of the state to benefit from its provision.

The arrowhead of the apex policy maker for the scheme in Ondo State pledged the support of the state government and their readiness to provide all necessary collaboration to ensure that the initiative did not become a thing of the past.

The Olumafon of Imafon Kingdom, Oba Samuel Aliu Adegbehingbe, in his goodwill message applauded NYSC for bringing such privilege to his kingdom.

The traditional ruler used the occasion to call on stakeholders to rally support for the NYSC so that life-touching impact of the scheme would be felt in all the nooks and crannies of the country.

Highlights of the programme was the health talk which touched on key areas of medical and health challenges such as Hypertension, Blood Pressure, Diabetes and maintainance of clean environment.

Participants were screened and attended to while drugs were freely given to those who presented their medical cases and history to the corps medical personnel.

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The governor made the call at Odode in Idanre local government area of the state where he flagged off the first quarter of 2024 NYSC Health Initiative for Rural Dwellers, HIRD, programme.

Aiyedatiwa, declared that it was a huge task for the government, whether at the local, state or even federal level to provide or achieve all her lofty programmes for the people completely, especially in view of the dwindling financial resources occasioned by the global economy.

He praised the management of the NYSC, saying that scheme had gone a step further from her primary responsibility of integrating and uniting the country.

“It is a pleasant relief when support or partnerships such as this is being provided for by the NYSC. Our belief is that the Scheme is exceeding its primary mandate which is to practically impact the rural communities who overall, constitute majority population of the nation; to integrate our great country into one indivisible entity thereby promoting unity and oneness.”

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The governor who was represented by the Director, Ministry of Youth and Sports Development, Mrs. Catherine Olukemi Okukpe, said that the government and people of Ondo State appreciated the gesture which was seen as an extension of the government policy on healthcare for all and sundry.

In her introductory speech, the coordinator of NYSC, Ondo State, Mrs. Victoria Nnenna Ani, said that the management decided to support the government in her quest to achieve ‘Health for all’ by year 2030 in line with one of the focal programmes of the Sustainable Development Goals, SDGs.

Ani said that to achieve the move, the Director General massively mobilised volunteer corps medical personnel to the rural areas nationwide to provide free qualitative health services to indigent citizens and residents who ordinarily would not have been able to access medical attention as a result of neglect and remoteness of their location.

She encouraged them to feel free and discuss any of their confidential health related challenges with the corps medical personnel who would be attending to them, assuring them that their classified information would remain confidential.

Ani thanked the Owa of Idanre-in-Council for mobilising beneficiaries to the programme as well as the local government for the logistical support.

The goodwill message from the local government was read by the Head, Local Government Administration, Mr. Ojomo Adeyemi, while that of Owa of Idanre Kingdom, Dr. Frederick Adegunle Aroloye, was delivered by High Chief Lomofe Odeyemi.

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Kwara State coordinator of the NYSC, Mr. Onifade Olaoluwa, made the call on Tuesday while flagging off the 2023 third phase of the programme at Tsaragi, Edu local government area of the state.

HIRD, the platform geared towards promotion of wellbeing of indigent persons at the grassroots by granting them easier access to free and quality healthcare was launched  in 2014.

The programme is largely implemented through medical outreach communities across the country during which Corps Medical Volunteers carry out diagnosis; treatment, minor medical procedures, referrals of patients.

Drugs, eye glasses and other medical consumables are also given to patients free of charge.

Speaking at the occasion, Olaoluwa emphasized the determination of the NYSC to intensify efforts in making sure an average Nigerian have access to good medical care.

The NYSC boss disclosed that thousands of people had benefited from the HIRD in the state.

He further stressed that, apart from HIRD, corps members were also using different medium of Community Development Service, CDS, to make other health related interventions.

Such interventions, according to him, included “Health survey; medical outreach and sensitization; renovation of NYSC clinic at NYSC state secretariat to serve members of public for free on minor ailments; various campaigns against COVID-19, Ebola Virus Disease (EVD); HIV/AIDS Malaria Control; Poliomyelitis and other killer diseases.

He further affirmed that “…the health interventions of the scheme through the HIRD and other platforms have made enormous impact such as contribution to the improvement of reproductive health, reduction of maternal and infant mortality as well as maintenance and improvement of health infrastructure.”

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Akeredolu expressed the appreciation when he flagged-off the 2022 second quarter NYSC HIRD programme at the Town Hall, Ile-Oluji in Ile-Oluji/Oke-Igbo local government area of Ondo State.

He said that the government and people of Ondo State were highly thankful to NYSC management for supporting the state through the provision of free healthcare services which he described as another step towards a more holistic contribution to the continued good health and enhanced productivity of the citizens and residents of the state.

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Akeredolu, who was represented at the programme by the Commissioner for Youth and Sports Development who doubles as Chairman, NYSC Governing Board, Otunba Bamidele Ologun, in observing that government at all levels might not have the ability to completely cater for the needs of the citizens and residents, described the programme as a pleasant relief.

The Chairman, NYSC Governing Board, was equally represented by the Director of Youths in the Ministry of Youth and Sports Development, Mrs. Catherine Olukemi Okukpe, pledged the readiness of the Ondo State government to provide all the necessary collaboration to ensure that the laudable programme does not become a thing of the past.

The governor, while pledging to strengthen the partnerships with NYSC and seek ways to expand its reach so that more people of the state could benefit from the free medical services, promised to collaborate with the scheme to further deepen the objectives of the programme.

In her welcome address, the NYSC Ondo State Coordinator, Mrs. Victoria Nnenna Ani, informed the highly valued guests and beneficiaries that the HIRD programme was an initiative of the NYSC Director General geared towards reaching out to rural communities with free medical services to be provided by corps medical professionals of the scheme.

“Apart from supporting the state government in the provision of healthcare, the programme is meant to medically promote the quality of life of the rural dwellers,” she said.

The state coordinator disclosed that the programme was targeted at further increasing the broad impact of the scheme and expanding its value to its critical stakeholders at all levels of our society.

Ani urged the people of the community to take advantage of the programme to take better care of their health by trooping out en-masse to be medically attended to, and enjoy the huge benefits the programme seeks to offer.

She thanked the stakeholders and partners who have contributed financially and materially to the successful flag-off of the programme.

Some corps doctors gave series of lecture on total well-being of individuals with special reference to High Blood Pressure and other ailments and diseases.

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Akeredolu made the pledge when he flagged off the third quarter Health Initiative for Rural Dwellers, HIRD, programme at Igbotu in Ese-Odo local government council area.

Speaking through the chairman, National Youth Service Corps, NYSC, Ondo State Governing Board who was represented by the Deputy Director, Youth Development in the Ministry of Youth Development and Sports, Mr. Babatunde Omotosho, Governor Akeredolu said that his government was ready to ensure the sustenance of the laudable initiative.

“Health, they say is wealth. Let me quickly seize this opportunity to call on the people of Igbotu community and its environs to troop out in large numbers and take full advantage of this programme to enhance your well-being.”

According to Governor Akeredolu, the HIRD programme was aimed at promoting the well-being of people at the grassroots where qualified corps medical personnel and other allied professionals offerred free medical services to the poorest of the poor and the indigent individuals in the rural areas.

“While we are trying our very best to ensure that citizens and residents have unhindered access to qualitative medical facilities throughout the state, the financial resources available is not adequate to cater for competing needs, hence, this pleasant support in form of HIRD from the NYSC is a welcome idea,” he said.

Akeredolu, who lauded the NYSC for the life changing gesture said that the programme could be seen as an extension of the government policy of making healthcare accessible to all and sundry.

“NYSC has gone a step further in her primary objective of promoting unity and integration among the various components that make up the country as well as imbibing the spirit of industry in the members of the service corps to be self-reliant to the present initiative of providing free medical services to the indigent populace of the rural areas.

“The government hereby pledges to strengthen these partners and seek ways to expand its reach to enable more people in the Sunshine State to benefit. This we shall pursue holistically to further deepen the objectives of the programme,” he concluded.

In her introductory speech, the State Coordinator, Ondo NYSC, Mrs. Victoria Nnenna Ani, said that the aim of the programme was to mobilise qualified corps medical professionals to attend to the indigent rural dwellers who ordinarily might not have access to qualitative medical services because of the remoteness of their locations.

The state coordinator therefore called on the members of the benefitting community and its environs to feel free to discuss any of their confidential health related challenges with the corps medical professionals that would be attending to them in the course of the exercise.

“I wish to let you know that the Director General of this noble scheme, Brigadier General Shuaibu Ibrahim, in a bid to tackle the health challenges of the rural populace, re-invigorated the programme and ensure that the outreach is carried out quarterly and I want to plead with you to cooperate with the corps medical personnel as the success recorded will largely depend on your comportment.”

Ani who was represented by the Assistant Director/Head, Community Development Service, CDS, Mr. Friday Abiodun Ainakhu, appreciated all individuals and corporate organisations that supported the programme with drugs and medical equipment.

The NYSC Ondo State boss reminded the beneficiaries of the programme that COVID -19 is still very much in our society and admonished them to follow the protocols and adhere strictly to preventive measures.

“We are in the battlefield and very soon we shall crush COVID -19 that is threatening our survival as a race. My advice to you is to keep on maintaining both social and physical distancing, washing your hands frequently with liquid soap under running clean water, applying alcohol based hand sanitiser at intervals and wearing appropriately facemask the moment you step outside your house,” she said.

The Executive Chairman of Ese-Odo local government, Mrs. Folawe Aluko Sipasi, in her goodwill message said that the council would continue to support the good initiative of the NYSC.

The chairman, who was represented by Prince Temituro Asher, said that CDS project of the corps members will continue to receive priority attention of her administration.

The royal father of the coastal community, Oba Adeniji Ajayi, the Gbaluwe of Igbotuland was represented  by High Chief Oge during the outreach.

Members of Igbotu community and its environs came out en-masse for the flag off ceremony and to benefit immensely from the programme which will last five days.

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