- Fund NYSC, Retain Leadership Structure, Youths Begs Tinubu
- Coalition called for broader stakeholder consultations before legislative consideration.
- Group defended NYSC’s military orientation as vital for national unity and discipline.
A youth advocacy group, the Coalition for National Unity and Youth Development, has appealed to President Bola Tinubu to suspend aspects of the proposed reforms to the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC), warning that changes to the scheme’s traditional structure could undermine its role in promoting national unity, discipline and emergency response.
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EKO HOT BLOG reports that in a statement issued on Sunday and signed by its President, Abdulrahman Sani, and Secretary, Grace Nwafor, the coalition acknowledged the Federal Government’s efforts to modernise the NYSC but argued that the reforms should not fundamentally alter the identity of the over five-decade-old institution.
The group urged the President to establish an expanded review committee comprising former NYSC Directors General, security experts, university administrators, employers, labour unions, youth organisations and civil society groups before the proposed reforms are transmitted to the National Assembly.
“We respectfully appeal to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu not to allow a historic national institution to be fundamentally altered without exhaustive consultation.
“Mr President has consistently demonstrated that he listens to Nigerians, and we sincerely beg him to pause this process and allow broader stakeholder engagement before any irreversible decision is taken,” the group said.
The coalition maintained that the NYSC was established primarily as a nation-building institution and cautioned against allowing vocational and skills acquisition programmes to overshadow its original purpose.
According to the statement, the scheme’s greatest achievement has been its ability to unite young Nigerians from different ethnic, religious and regional backgrounds.
“It would be unfortunate if the NYSC gradually loses its identity and becomes known merely as another government skills acquisition programme.
“Skills are important, but they are not the reason the scheme was created. Its greatest achievement has been bringing young Nigerians together across ethnic, religious and regional divides at a time when our country desperately needed healing,” the statement added.
The group insisted that vocational training could be expanded and strengthened without changing the core structure and philosophy of the NYSC.
It also defended the military component of the orientation camp, describing it as one of the scheme’s defining strengths.
According to the coalition, values such as discipline, patriotism, teamwork and resilience cannot be effectively taught through classroom instruction alone.
“Across the world, countries such as Singapore, South Korea, Israel and Switzerland continue to expose their young citizens to structured national or military service because they understand that national development depends not only on knowledge but also on discipline, sacrifice and civic responsibility.
“Nigeria should strengthen that tradition rather than weaken it,” the coalition stated.
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