The UNESCO, in partnership with CWAY Group, has launched an initiative to equip members of the National Youth Service Corps with essential knowledge on sexual and reproductive health, life planning, and community development.
The programme, unveiled during a corps orientation exercise, forms part of a broader corporate social responsibility effort aimed at curbing risky behaviours among young people while fostering their capacity to contribute meaningfully to national development.
Speaking at the event, the National Project Officer and Acting Head of Education Sector at UNESCO, Adeyemi Oladeji, said the intervention focuses on delivering timely and accurate information to corps members during the three-week orientation period, often considered a high-risk phase for exposure to unsafe behaviours.
He described the initiative as preventive, noting that early access to credible information enables young people to make informed decisions that safeguard their future.
The programme covers critical areas including teenage pregnancy, gender-based violence, HIV prevention, and life skills development. It also seeks to align participants’ personal aspirations with broader national development objectives, contributing to Nigeria’s demographic dividend.
A central component of the initiative is the training of selected corps members under the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and HIV Community Development Service (CDS) groups as peer educators and master trainers. These volunteers are expected to extend outreach efforts to out-of-school youths, particularly those in informal sectors such as mechanics, barbers, and hairdressers.
Oladeji noted that such groups are often underserved despite being among the most vulnerable due to limited access to reliable information and support systems.
Under the programme, trained corps members will conduct community sensitisation campaigns, peer education sessions, and outreach activities in underserved areas, leveraging peer-to-peer engagement to drive behavioural change.
The initiative also incorporates voluntary HIV testing services in collaboration with health organisations, encouraging corps members to know their status and adopt healthier lifestyles.
Beyond orientation camps, the programme is being extended to schools and communities, with teachers receiving training on Family Life and HIV Education, while community and religious leaders are being engaged to support the reintegration of out-of-school children, particularly girls affected by early pregnancy or economic hardship.
The initiative is currently being implemented in Lagos, Ogun, Enugu, and the Federal Capital Territory in collaboration with the NYSC, the Federal Ministry of Youth, and the Federal Ministry of Education.
Organisers reported strong interest among corps members, many of whom have volunteered as peer educators and community advocates, describing the early response as encouraging and indicative of the programme’s potential for long-term impact.
