A youth advocacy group has called on President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to suspend the proposed reforms to the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC), warning that altering the scheme’s core mandate could undermine its role in promoting national unity and integration.
The group, the Coalition of Patriotic Youth Leaders (COPYL), made the appeal in a statement issued over the weekend, expressing concerns over proposals to restructure the NYSC into a programme focused primarily on skills acquisition and entrepreneurship. It argued that while vocational training is important, it should not replace the scheme’s foundational objectives.
According to the group, the NYSC was established to foster national cohesion, cultural integration and civic responsibility among Nigerian graduates following the civil war. It cautioned that reducing the scheme to what it described as “another skills acquisition programme” would weaken its unique contribution to nation-building.
“The NYSC was not created merely as an employment or vocational initiative. Its primary purpose is to promote unity, encourage inter-ethnic understanding and strengthen national integration,” the statement said.
The coalition acknowledged the need to modernise the scheme but urged the Federal Government to undertake broad consultations with stakeholders, including serving and former corps members, education experts and civil society organisations, before implementing any major reforms.
It also recommended strengthening existing components of the programme, such as the Skills Acquisition and Entrepreneurship Development (SAED) initiative, rather than replacing the NYSC’s traditional structure.
The group’s comments follow recent discussions on the future of the NYSC after the Federal Government announced plans to review the scheme to make it more responsive to current economic realities and youth development needs. Among the proposals under consideration are measures aimed at expanding vocational training and improving corps members’ employability after service.
While supporting reforms that enhance the welfare and economic prospects of young Nigerians, the coalition insisted that such changes should complement not diminish the NYSC’s constitutional role as a national integration programme.
The group urged President Tinubu to ensure that any review of the scheme preserves its original vision while incorporating reforms that address contemporary challenges facing Nigerian youths. It maintained that balancing national unity with skills development would better serve the country’s long-term interests.
