PROPOSED NYSC REFORM AND MATTERS ARISING

PROPOSED NYSC REFORM AND MATTERS ARISING

Critical stakeholders should be carried along

The recent announcement by the federal government of far-reaching reforms for the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) deserves a serious interrogation. Anchored on the notion that no national institution can remain relevant if it is unwilling to evolve with changing times, the proposed emphasis is on entrepreneurship training, digital literacy, leadership development, civic responsibility and skills acquisition. It is also aimed at matching corps members’ primary assignments more closely with their academic qualifications and professional competencies among others.

Established in 1973 in the aftermath of the Nigerian Civil War, the NYSC was conceived primarily as an instrument of national integration. It sought to heal the wounds of the conflict by fostering interaction among the diverse ethnic, religious and cultural groups in the country. Being a creation of a military administration, the scheme was also designed to instill discipline and regimentation into the youths thereby making them amenable for mobilisation towards national development. This historical context explains the military content of the orientation course and much of the structure that has endured for over five decades.