The Director-General of the National Youth Service Corps, Brigadier General Olakunle Nafiu, has urged the scheme’s Public Relations Officers to strengthen strategic communication and protect its reputation among stakeholders.
Nafiu gave the charge in an address at the 2026 Public Relations, Media and Protocol Officers Workshop held in Abuja.
The workshop was organised under the theme, “NYSC Strategic Communication: Shaping Perception, Safeguarding Reputation, and Fostering Public Trust.”
The director-general described the theme as timely and important, particularly as organisations operate in an increasingly complex and rapidly changing communication environment.
Represented at the event by the Director of Community Development Services and Special Projects, Chiwendu Chukwu, Nafiu said strategic communication involved more than publicity.
He explained that it required organisations to inform, engage, listen and respond to stakeholders in a deliberate, coordinated and consistent manner.
“Therefore, our communication must be accurate, timely, credible, consistent and responsive,” he said.
Nafiu described communication professionals as custodians of the NYSC’s image and reputation.
He urged the officers to understand the mandate of the scheme thoroughly, anticipate public concerns, monitor emerging narratives and ensure that accurate information reached the appropriate audience through the right channel at the right time.
The NYSC director-general also called for stronger capacity in proactive communication, media monitoring, fact-checking and crisis management.
He encouraged the officers to take advantage of digital platforms to highlight the contributions of the NYSC to national development.
In his welcome address, the Director of the NYSC Media Department, Emeka Mgbemena, urged the officers to remain vigilant in countering misinformation and misleading narratives about the scheme, particularly on social media.
He said the workshop was designed to equip information managers with the knowledge and tools required to develop effective public-relations strategies and improve engagement with the media and other stakeholders.
Mgbemena noted that the current digital environment was characterised by misinformation, junk journalism, misuse of social media and inadequate reporting.
He said the high level of social-media activity among young Nigerians made it necessary for NYSC communication officers to improve how the scheme presents information to the public.
The media director urged officers at state secretariats and the National Directorate Headquarters to maintain the highest standards of professionalism in managing the organisation’s reputation.
He advised them to be proactive rather than reactive, tell the NYSC’s stories effectively and respond quickly to misleading information.
The President of the Nigerian Institute of Public Relations, Dr Ike Neliaku, also urged NYSC Public Relations Officers to uphold best practices in corporate communication and apply effective reputation-management strategies.
Neliaku said organisations built strong reputations through deliberate and consistent efforts rather than by chance.
The workshop was attended by Public Relations, Media and Protocol Officers from the 36 state secretariats, the Federal Capital Territory and the NYSC National Directorate Headquarters in Abuja.