Peace Corps of Nigeria. History and What They Do
Peace Corps of Nigeria is a body founded over 20 years ago in 1998 with a main mission to canvassing peace and youth development as well as creativity across the nation. It is a non-governmental institution but its recognized by the Federal Government of Nigeria under the Companies and Allied Matters Act, 1990.
The Peace Corps of Nigeria is also recognized by the AU as well as the United Nations Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC). According to a toll taken in 2019, the body has more than 113,000 Permanent Staff Officers registered under it as well as over 78,000 Volunteers.
Functions of Peace Corps of Nigeria
Below are the stipulated functions of the Peace Corp of Nigeria as revealed in an official document by the Media Consultant of the PCN, Rogers Edor Ochela.
- To Develop, Empower and provide gainful employment for the Youth, to Facilitate Peace, Volunteerism, Community Service, Neighbourhood watch, Nation – Building and for other related matters
- (b) Promote Social and Economic Development by involving Members and Volunteers in the scheme through working with Government, Schools, Non-Profit Organisations, Non-Governmental Organisations, etc. in order to preoccupy the youths;
- (c) To empower and pre-occupy Nigerian Youths through job creation and provision of alternative employment;
- (d) Training Nigerian Youths with good virtuous, strong passion and commitment to the art of Patriotism, Volunteerism Community Services and Nation Building;
- (e) To train and equip the Youths with knowledge for Peace Education, Conflict Resolution, Mediation, Reconciliation and Confidence Building;
- (f) To give distinct orientation to the Youths and engage them in the provision of essential services such as:
- Involving members of the Peace Corps in Community Services such as Immunization, Census and Sanitation Exercises, especially in urban cities, States and Local Government Capitals;
- Provision of Refuse Bins, Waste Baskets, and Handy Waste Bags in public buildings, buses and schools in order to obliterate littered materials;
- Assisting in planting of Economic trees and all forms of environmental conservation.
- Involve members and Volunteers of the Peace Corps in crowd control during public events and in neighbourhood watch in order to curb insecurity within the community.
- (g) Create a Data Bank and reservoir of trained, qualified professionals and non-professional youths for easy accessibility of manpower from the pool of well-groomed youths whenever the Nation needs their services for either permanent employment or ad-hoc manpower for such national or international programmes as Emergency Relief Services, Voters’ Registration, Election Exercise, etc.
- (h) Provide security for all Educational Institutions and checking all forms of examination malpractices and other vices prevalent in Schools and Colleges in order to create a conducive atmosphere for learning. To achieve these, the Peace Corps shall:
- Establish Peace Corps Club in Schools and Colleges and involving members of the club in the promotion of internal understanding, Peace Education, Conflict Management and Transformation;
- Maintain surveillance on students organizing secret societies; identify their members, associates, modus operandi and to make such discoveries known to the appropriate authorities;
- Assist the school authority in the maintenance and enforcement of School Rules and Regulations;
- Detect any plot to vandalise valuable properties of the school or college or any form of dissident act of rioting by students or intruders in order to promote internal peace and security;
- Organise Holiday Camps for students where they would be involved in less academic work, but more of games, creative work, martial art, citizenship and leadership training, as well as other extra-curricular programmes and;
- Organise special conferences, seminars and workshops in order to equip the Nigerian youths in Leadership Building Mechanism, so as to prepare them both mentally, morally and physically for their future leadership roles.
- Assist in youth developmental activities, Empowerment and Capacity Building for youth Creativity and Innovations, such as:
- Identify tools, techniques and the process of critical thinking, creativity, innovation and discovery to facilitate problem solving;
- Initiate and involving the youth in Humanitarian Services in Nigeria and around the world in order to aid transfer of knowledge and Technology;
- Helping the People of interested countries in meeting their needs for training young Men and Women and to promote a better understanding of Nigerians on the parts of the peoples served;
- Serve as Orderlies to members of the Executives, Parliament, Judiciary and Traditional Rulers that are not covered by existing Security Agencies;
- Engage Members as Tourists Assistants and Guide to Nigerian and foreigners on visit to the Country, Tourists Sites and other National and State Monuments and Heritage;
- Creation and Management of Public Toilets on highways, including enlightenment against defecation in public places, Recreational Centres, Tourist Sites, etc.; and
- To check all Forms of Examination Malpractices as may be perpetrated by students, invigilators, teachers, lecturers, and other educational staff.
- namic nature of insecurity in Nigeria today requires roles differentiation as a panacea to expertise in addressing security challenges. It would interest you to know that similar organisations like the Nigerian Peace Corps exists in other parts of the world such as the American Peace Corps, Canadian Peace Corps, Bangladesh National Cadet Corps, Peace Officers Commission in China, Chinese Labour Corps, Lera Uniform Corps of Malaysia, Malaysian People Volunteer Corps, Production and Construction Corps of China, etc. All these are consciously and deliberately designed to empower and socially preoccupy the youths so that their state of idleness won’t be exploited adversely.
Is Peace Corps of Nigeria Approved
The Peace Corps Of Nigeria though recognized by the Federal government of Nigeria, is yet to an approved government institution. The bill to make it an approved body the government is being passed on the floor of the Nigerian Senate and is yet to be signed by President Muhammadu Buhari.
News About the Peace Corps Of Nigeria Bill
A new bill is in the process of being signed by the President called the Peace Corps Establishment Bill. This bill when signed, assents the Peace Corp of Nigeria for mobilization of youths for national development as well as other key areas of youth development within the country.
Peace Corps of Nigeria Bill at the National Assembly
The Peace Corps Establishment Bill is currently on the floor of the senate and is being chaired by the The Chairman, Senate Committee on Army, Senator Ali Ndume. The bill which awaits the signature of the president is said to impending due to some yet to be disclosed areas of conflict.
What Buhari Said About Peace Corps Of Nigeria
According to the principal sponsor of the bill and The Chairman, Senate Committee on Army, Senator Ali Ndume, the bill was under careful scrutiny and that it was well on its way to being signed
In his words: “I have met with President Buhari and complained on his refusal to assent to the earlier bill but the president cited lack of fund and duplication of duties.
“I took time to explain in details the functions and aims of the Peace Corps especially in the area of mobilization of youths for national development and in the end the president has indicated positive responds to assenting to the bill.
“I am positive that the Peace Corps bill will be signed into law this time around by President Buhari so that its aims and objectives would be achieved,” he said.
Peace Corps Of Nigeria Facebook
To access the official Facebook page for more information on the Peace Corp of Nigeria, please visit the link below:
https://web.facebook.com/PEACE-CORPS-OF-NIGERIA-591274390993345/?_rdc=1&_rdr
Author
Abbey Johnson has a Masters degree as an engineer and has over 3 years of teaching and research experience. He is happiest when on a bike and is also interested in electric energy and computer Science.