The National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) has remained in the forefront of ensuring that our legacy and identity never been in short supply or go into extinction as it comes up with programmes and events that restores confidence and make Nigerians proud of their backgrounds.
As a result of dynamism which the NYSC management is evolving to change the narrative of over-dependence on foreign culture and ways of life, the laudable Scheme has done much by aggressively orientating the Nigerians especially the graduate youths on the need to go back to the roots and promote what our forebears hold dear to their hearts.
No wonder, when the Federal Government in the face of kidnapping and banditry directed the NYSC management to stop Endurance Trek, it did not take the managers of the laudable Scheme to come up with an acceptable idea which is today known as Cultural Carnival where various cultures within the context of Nigeria are showcased and promoted during orientation courses.
As if that is not enough, the managers of the Scheme added what could be called 'extra' to the Cultural Carnival to complement our culture and identity. They came up again with discovery of the ingenuity which is capable of attracting in-flow of foreign currency to boost our economy and enhance our tourism potential. Thus celebrations of our local fabrics such as Adire, Ankara, George etc came to be institutionalised in our orientation camps.
Speaking during Ankara Night at the NYSC Permanent Orientation Camp, Ikare-Akoko, the fashionista State Coordinator, Mrs. Victoria Nnenna Ani who is always very proud to wear the local fabrics and showcased to the outside world whenever she is opportune to be outside the shores of this country, challenged the youths on the need to promote the indigenous fabrics more than how they promote the 'borrowed of foreign ones'.
The State Coordinator who lauded the Honourable Minister of State, Federal Ministry of Youths Development, Honourable Ayodele Olawande for identifying with our roots and agreed to sponsor and promote the local fabrics, said that he would remain a role model for the teeming youths of this country.
Ani, who praised the creative ingenuity of the designers as well as the models who don the fabrics during the Inter-Platoon Competition asserted that NYSC will not relent at promoting values and cultures that binds us together as one nation in love.
The Ankara Night which brought out the best in the way the youths reason when it comes to promotion of our heritage, changed the already held beliefs and perception that local fabrics are inferior to imported ones as corps members raised a voice through their attitude towards the night and the attention they displayed during the colourful event.
The Ankara Night which was put together by the Social and Entertainment Committee headed by unassuming, aggressive go-getter, silent but record blazing achiever, Mrs. Christianah Oluwatoyin Afolayan and the hosts of back room members succeeded once again to bring together the 'oldies but young at heart' to compete with restive but energetic youths who 'no wan gree for anybody'.
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