Shekinat Abubakar
A former Corps Member deployed to Bauchi State, Motunrayo Helen Awolokun, has been honoured with the President’s NYSC Honours Award in recognition of her outstanding performance and selfless contributions to humanity during her National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) year.
Motunrayo, with state code number BA/20A/0319, was among the 210 awardees celebrated at the 2020–2023 combined NYSC Presidential Honours Award ceremony held at the Banquet Hall of the Presidential Villa, Abuja.
President Bola Tinubu, represented by the Minister of State for Labour and Employment, Nkeiruka Onyejeocha, presented the awards and commended her for her discipline, patriotism, teamwork and commitment to nation-building.
Motunrayo, who hails from Moferere Village in Ado-Ekiti Local Government Area of Ekiti State, was born on April 3, 1998, into the family of Mr. and Mrs. Saka Tijani Awolokun.
She graduated from Olabisi Onabanjo University, Ago-Iwoye, Ogun State, in 2019, with a Bachelor of Science degree in Plant Science before being mobilised for the 2020 Batch ‘A’ service year.
Upon reporting to the NYSC Orientation Camp in Bauchi State on March 10, 2020, Motunrayo participated actively in all camp activities, including drills, lectures, and SAED training. She also represented her platoon during the inter-platoon cooking and dance/drama competitions, displaying great team spirit and creativity.
After the orientation course, she was posted to Dee Coddin Private School, Bauchi, where she distinguished herself as a dedicated and professional teacher. She taught Biology to senior secondary students (SS1–SS3) and was commended for improving students’ academic performance through her effective teaching methods.
As part of her Community Development Service (CDS), Motunrayo served as the President of the Publicity/Editorial CDS Group in Bauchi. Through this platform, she promoted public awareness about corps members’ developmental projects on Bauchi State Television (BATV), mobilising community support and sponsorship for impactful initiatives.
Her personal Community Development Projects (CDPs) reflected her passion for youth empowerment and education. They included: Sensitisation and training of over 100 students from General Hassan Usman Katsina Unity College and the Juvenile Home, Bauchi, on various skill acquisition ventures such as bag making, shoemaking, soap production, catering, hairdressing and barbing: Donation and installation of ten (10) white marker boards across classrooms at General Hassan Usman Katsina Unity College, Yelwa, Bauchi, to improve the teaching and learning environment.
In recognition of her selfless service, innovation, and leadership during the service year, she received a cash prize of ₦250,000, an automatic employment offer into the Federal Civil Service, a scholarship for postgraduate studies up to Ph.D. level, a Gold Medal, and a Certificate of Honour signed by President Bola Tinubu.
