NYSC trains public relations officers

Ibrahim stated this today in his address at the opening ceremony of NYSC Press and Public Relations Officers’ Workshop, themed; “Entrenching New Techniques for Reputation Management in the New Normal”, held in Abuja.

He said, “Just as the new media can be deployed to enhance our job of sustaining the visibility of the Scheme, it can equally be a tool for mischief makers. It is therefore imperative that we must always be vigilant to monitor promptly, and refute or correct misconceptions about the Scheme.”

General lbrahim who was represented by the Director, Ventures Management Department, Prince Mohammed Momoh noted that the workshop was organised to further improve the knowledge of Public Relations Officers on how to manage the reputation of the Scheme and positively improve its image.

“The role of Public Relations Officers in any organisation is crucial, given the fact that they are image makers. The training and retraining of this important category of officers in the NYSC therefore is significant for the sustenance of the good image of the Scheme”, he added.

Ibrahim stated further that Management has been making great strides in getting the general public informed about the Scheme’s activities through programmes like the resuscitated “NYSC Half Hour” being aired every week on NTA International and the Armed Forces Radio, Abuja, which have become veritable sources of information on the operations and activities of the Scheme and the positive impact it is making in the country.

He however advised the Public Relations Officers to complement these efforts by leveraging on both the traditional and new media to communicate effectively on the critical roles the Scheme is playing in the socio-economic development of the country.

He said, “You are to continually publicize the activities of Corps Members in the area of rendering support in containing the spread of COVID-19, the Health Initiative for Rural Dwellers (HIRD), group and personal Community Development Services of Corps Members, as well as other areas of intervention in national development.”

“You should also sensitize and inform the general public about the inclusion of the NYSC as a member of the Federal Government’s Committee on Alternate School Programne and the Technical Working Group on Local Content for the Mambilla Hydro-Power project among other numerous achievements”.

“The Scheme is also partnering with the Federal Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs, Disaster Management and Social Development to enumerate and enroll beneficiaries of the National Home-Grown Feeding programme of the Federal Government”.

General lbrahim equally noted that in line with the Scheme’s quest to galvanise support for the operations of the Scheme and provide sources of funding for the activities of the Corps Members, Management is proposing the establishment of NYSC Trust Fund which would enhance the proper maintenance of Orientation Camp facilities and also start as a start-up capital for Corps Members to start their business vocations as they exit service.

The Director, Press and Public Relations, Mrs Adenike Adeyemi in her welcome address said the training seeks to equip the workshop participants with the required aptitude to deploy effective Public Relations strategies and media technologies needed to discharge their mandate successfully in the new normal as dictated by the current global pandemic.

She added that the workshop is an annual programne which affords NYSC Public Relations Officers a veritable platform to evaluate the strategies, processes and challenges of managing the image of the Scheme.