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ABUJA, NIGERIA — A former delegate to the 2014 National Conference, Chief Mrs. Ifeyinwa Arafat Ezenwa, has called for a fundamental overhaul of the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC), urging the Federal Government to end compulsory participation in the scheme and transform it into a voluntary, secure and employment-driven national service programme.
In a detailed policy submission titled “Submission on the Future of the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC),” the Ijele Nwanyi Igbo Nile argued that although the NYSC has played a historic role in promoting national unity since its establishment in 1973, Nigeria’s changing security, economic and labour realities now demand comprehensive reforms.
“For more than five decades, the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) has served as a symbol of national unity and integration,” she stated, noting that the scheme was established after the Nigerian Civil War to foster “peace, reconciliation, and understanding among Nigerians from different ethnic, religious, and cultural backgrounds.”
She, however, maintained that while the founding vision remains commendable, “the realities of present-day Nigeria require a bold and honest reassessment.”
Chief Ezenwa declared, “In my opinion, the NYSC should no longer be compulsory. It should be made voluntary, with comprehensive reforms that reflect the current security, economic, and employment realities of our country.”
Explaining the basis for her position, she identified the country’s worsening security situation as the foremost reason for making participation optional.
“The first and most important reason is security. Today, Nigeria faces serious security challenges, including kidnapping, terrorism, banditry, communal conflicts, and violent crimes in several parts of the country. Many parents and graduates live in fear of deployment to unfamiliar and insecure locations,” she said.
According to her, government has a constitutional obligation to protect citizens, insisting that “no graduate should be compelled to participate in a programme where adequate safety cannot be guaranteed.”
She also questioned the programme’s contribution to graduate employment, arguing that many participants complete their service year without meaningful career opportunities.
“The programme has not achieved its employment objectives. Thousands of graduates spend one year serving the nation, only to return home unemployed. Many are posted to establishments that neither utilise their professional qualifications nor retain them after service. As a result, one valuable year of their lives is lost without meaningful career advancement,” she said.
Chief Ezenwa further cited Nigeria’s economic challenges as another compelling reason for reform, observing that soaring living costs have made participation increasingly difficult for corps members.
“The cost of transportation, accommodation, feeding, healthcare, and other essential needs has risen sharply. Although corps members receive allowances, these are often insufficient to meet the realities of the high cost of living,” she noted.
She equally argued that compulsory service restricts graduates from pursuing immediate employment, postgraduate education, entrepreneurship and professional development opportunities.
“Some graduates receive employment offers immediately after graduation, while others wish to pursue postgraduate education, vocational training, professional certifications, or entrepreneurship. They should not be compelled to suspend these opportunities simply because the scheme is mandatory,” she said.
Beyond advocating voluntary participation, the former National Conference delegate proposed extensive reforms aimed at making the NYSC more relevant to national development.
She recommended that security should become the programme’s highest priority, with corps members deployed only to locations certified as safe after continuous security assessments, while immediate relocation should be mandatory whenever security deteriorates.
She further urged authorities to align postings with graduates’ academic qualifications, professional skills and career aspirations to ensure that the service year contributes meaningfully to both national development and individual career growth.
Chief Ezenwa also advocated a major shift in the scheme’s focus towards entrepreneurship, digital technology, agriculture, innovation, vocational skills, leadership development and job creation.
“Every corps member should leave the scheme with practical skills capable of generating sustainable income,” she said.
To address graduate unemployment, she proposed stronger collaboration between government and the private sector.
“Government should establish strong partnerships with the private sector to ensure that outstanding corps members are considered for permanent employment after service. Companies that retain corps members should receive incentives such as tax relief or other government-backed benefits,” she recommended.
She also called for post-service grants, low-interest loans and business support programmes to encourage entrepreneurship among former corps members.
On welfare, Chief Ezenwa advocated comprehensive health and life insurance coverage for all corps members throughout the service year, while urging organisations requesting corps members to share responsibility for their accommodation, welfare and security.
She also sought flexible service arrangements for graduates living with disabilities or serious medical conditions to safeguard their health and dignity.
According to her, the performance of the NYSC should no longer be measured merely by the number of graduates completing one year of service.
Instead, she said, success should be evaluated using measurable indicators such as “employment created, businesses established, skills acquired, innovation promoted, and community development achieved.”
Reaffirming her support for national unity, Chief Ezenwa stressed that patriotism should not come at the expense of the safety and future of young Nigerians.
“National unity remains an important objective, but unity cannot be sustained by exposing young Nigerians to unnecessary risks or delaying their careers without corresponding opportunities,” she said.
She concluded by urging the Federal Government to modernise the scheme, saying, “The time has come to modernise the NYSC into a voluntary, secure, skills-driven, employment-oriented, and development-focused national service programme that reflects the realities of twenty-first-century Nigeria.”
According to her, “Such a reform will preserve the noble ideals upon which the NYSC was founded while making it more beneficial to graduates, communities, employers, and the nation as a whole.”
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