NYSC Reaffirms Partnership with Legal Aid Council to Provide Free Legal Services

The National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) has reiterated its commitment to strengthening its collaboration with the Legal Aid Council of Nigeria to provide free legal services to indigent and underprivileged citizens across the country.

Brigadier General Olakunle Nafiu, Director General of NYSC, made the disclosure while hosting the Director General of the Legal Aid Council, Mr. Aliyu Bagudu Abubakar, and his team at the NYSC headquarters in Abuja.

Commending Mr. Abubakar’s leadership in heading the council for two consecutive terms, General Nafiu noted that the partnership between Corps Lawyers and experienced practitioners has boosted the confidence and performance of the Corps members.

“At an inter-agency level, the collaboration between the two institutions is yielding tangible results,” he said. “While NYSC provides qualified manpower to supplement those rendering free legal services, the Legal Aid Council offers Corps Lawyers a platform to gain practical experience in their profession.”

READ ALSO: NYSC Empowers 58,933 Corps Members With Digital Skills

According to a statement by Caroline Embu, Director, Information and Public Relations, General Nafiu further assured that NYSC remains committed to national service, adding: “We are committed to strengthening and deepening the existing relationship. We will study your proposal and see how we can use it to benefit the larger society. Nigeria is ours; Nigeria we serve.”

During the meeting, Mr. Aliyu Bagudu Abubakar requested the posting of more Corps Lawyers to courts within the Federal Capital Territory to launch a pilot project that would attach Legal Aid groups to each court in Abuja. He highlighted the need to address manpower shortages in the council’s offices nationwide and stressed that NYSC personnel could play a critical role in providing free legal representation.

Established in 1976 to provide legal aid to indigent Nigerians, the Legal Aid Council’s mandate was expanded in 2011 to cover a broader range of human rights and legal matters.

The NYSC-Legal Aid partnership continues to strengthen the delivery of justice for less privileged Nigerians while providing Corps Lawyers with valuable practical experience.