Attitude and Participation of Youth Corp Members in Community Development Service in Akwa Ibom State, Nigeria

The study assessed the attitude and participation levels of youth corp members in Akwa Ibom State, Nigeria, in the Community Development Service (CDS) scheme. A multi-stage sampling procedure was used to select 180 youth corps members from nine Local Government Areas across the state, with data collected through a structured questionnaire. The data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, mean scores, and factor analysis. Findings revealed that 54.4% of the respondents were male, with the majority aged between 25 and 30 years, and 81.7% were single. The respondents’ level of participation in CDS was high with the cluster mean of 2.83 and the most participated CDS activities included Environmental Sanitation Campaigns, educational Programs for Local Communities and Skill Acquisition and Training, while participation in Infrastructure Development and Environmental Sanitation Campaigns were the lower. Attitudes toward CDS were generally favorable (cluster mean of 3.08 ), with corps members recognizing its role in leadership development and personal growth. Participation levels ranged from low to high depending on resource availability, community support, and personal interest. The study concluded that while attitudes were favorable and the level of participation in CDS activities was high. Resource constraints and organizational inefficiencies limited full engagement. Based on these findings, it was recommended that the government and NYSC officials should enhance resource availability to facilitate more effective community development services