The National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) Coordinator in Rivers State, Mr Moses Oleghe, has urged corps members to deploy Nigeria’s rich cultural diversity as a tool for national unity, peace and development rather than allowing cultural differences to fuel division and chaos.
Oleghe gave the charge during the 2026 Batch ‘B’ Stream II inter-platoon cultural carnival held at the NYSC Permanent Orientation Camp, Nonwa-Gbam, in Tai Local Government Area of Rivers State.
Addressing the corps members, the coordinator described them as “elite youths and graduates” with the intellectual capacity to promote cultural revival and reshape practices that could strengthen peaceful coexistence across communities.
He urged them to use the knowledge acquired through their academic training and life experiences to promote cultural practices that respect and uphold fundamental human rights.
According to him, corps members should help dispel the “ignorance and darkness” associated with harmful cultural practices while preserving traditions that promote dignity, tolerance and peaceful coexistence.
Oleghe said the diversity of Nigeria’s cultures should be regarded as a strength capable of bringing citizens together, rather than a source of conflict.
He therefore challenged the corps members to become ambassadors of cultural understanding in their places of primary assignment and communities, using their privileged position as educated young Nigerians to promote unity and national cohesion.
The Special Guest of Honour, Commander, 6 Division Garrison, Nigerian Army, Bori Camp, Port Harcourt, Brigadier-General A.A. Bello, expressed delight at the quality of cultural displays by the corps members.
Bello urged them to contribute to building the Nigeria of their dreams through discipline, patriotism, integrity and hard work.
He reminded the corps members that they constituted the “successor generation” and were already at the threshold of leadership, stressing that the responsibility of making Nigeria work and succeed would increasingly fall on them.
“You are the successor generation; therefore, it behoves you to make Nigeria work and succeed,” he said.
The cultural carnival featured colourful displays reflecting Nigeria’s diverse traditions and cultural heritage, with 10 Platoon emerging winner of the competition.
7 Platoon came second, while 4 Platoon took the third position.
The competition was sponsored by Peak Milk, which rewarded the three winning platoons with cash prizes of N100,000, N50,000 and N25,000 respectively.
The event underscored the capacity of Nigeria’s cultural diversity to serve not as a fault line for division, but as a bridge for unity, understanding and lasting peace.