Mbah To Youths: Let’s Build A Nigeria Where ‘Japa’ Is A Choice, Not Escape

Enugu State Governor, Dr Peter Mbah, has called for the building of a Nigeria that would earn the patriotism of young people and make migration a choice rather than an escape route.

Mbah spoke at Awgu during the swearing-in ceremony of 2,101 members of the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) deployed to Enugu State under the 2026 Batch ‘C’ Stream.

The governor said Nigeria’s large youth population could only become an advantage if the country provided the education, skills, jobs, enterprise opportunities and institutions required for young people to turn their talents into productivity and prosperity.

He said the essence of the NYSC programme went beyond enabling young Nigerians to experience parts of the country outside their places of origin, stressing that it also offered an opportunity to deepen national integration.

“We often ask young Nigerians to be patriotic. But let us ask ourselves a more difficult question: How do we earn the patriotism of our young people if they feel excluded from their country’s promise?

“Patriotism must be cultivated by creating a country in which young people can see a future for themselves.

“We must provide quality education; create an enabling environment for enterprise; expand opportunities; make our institutions work.

“We must build a country where merit is rewarded, hard work has meaning and dreams do not have to be exported before they can become reality,” he said.

Mbah, however, urged the corps members to remain committed to the country even when confronted with its challenges, saying patriotism also required citizens to contribute to solving national problems.

“Patriotism also demands something from you. It demands that, even when the country is imperfect, you refuse to give up on its possibilities; that you criticise what is wrong without abandoning what can be made right; that you do not merely ask: ‘What can Nigeria give me?’ but also ask: ‘What can I give Nigeria?’

“Together, we can build a country where ‘japa’ is a choice, not an escape; where our young people can travel the world without feeling compelled to abandon home,” he said.

The governor urged the corps members to approach their assignments as an opportunity to contribute to national development.

“If you are called upon to teach, teach as though Nigeria’s future were sitting before you – because it is. And when you encounter the difficulties, do not simply ask: ‘When will Nigeria change?’ Ask the more powerful question: ‘What can I do to change Nigeria?’ That is the question of citizenship,” he added.

Mbah assured the corps members of the state government’s commitment to their welfare and security during their service year.

He also urged them to see Enugu as a place where their backgrounds would not determine the limits of their opportunities.

The governor cited the example of Mallam Umaru Altine, a Fulani man from Sokoto, who became the first Mayor of Enugu after the city attained municipal status in 1952.

According to him, the history demonstrated that “where you come from need not determine how far you can go; that belonging is not always about birthplace; that citizenship is also about contribution.”

Earlier, the NYSC State Coordinator, Mrs Oluwakemi Awolola, who spoke on behalf of the Director-General of the agency, Brigadier-General Olakunle Nafiu, said 2,101 corps members had been registered for the 2026 Batch ‘C’ Stream in Enugu State.

She said the figure comprised 983 males and 1,118 females, adding that the corps members had demonstrated enthusiasm and cooperation since their arrival at the orientation camp.

Awolola thanked the state government for its support for the welfare and security of corps members serving in the state.

She specifically acknowledged the ongoing intervention and renovation of facilities at the NYSC Orientation Camp in Awgu, as well as improved welfare support and allowances promised by the state government.

The Commissioner for Youth and Sports Development, Barrister Lloyd Ekweremadu, and the Chairman of Awgu Local Government Area, Hon Uchenna Okolo, assured the corps members of continued collaboration between the state, local governments and NYSC authorities to ensure a successful service year.

The new corps members were sworn in by the Chief Judge of Enugu State, Justice Afojulu Ozoemena, who was represented by Justice Anthony Onovo.
The ceremony also featured a parade by the Batch ‘C’ corps members.

Mbah later inspected the NYSC Orientation Camp in Awgu, where he toured completed and ongoing projects being undertaken by the state government to improve facilities at the camp.