Rep. Philip Agbese (LP-Benue) has urged President Bola Tinubu to suspend proposed reforms to the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) pending a comprehensive review by a broader committee.
Agbese, Deputy Spokesman of the House of Representatives, made the appeal in a statement on Sunday, warning that the reforms could undermine the scheme’s original purpose.
The lawmaker, representing Ado/Okpokwu/Ogbadibo Federal Constituency of Benue, said modernising the NYSC was desirable but should not weaken its national integration mandate.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the reforms were proposed by the Minister of Youth Development, Mr Ayodele Olawande, as part of plans to reposition the scheme.
Among the proposals is splitting the orientation camp into three phases to provide more structured activities and improve participants’ overall experience during service.
The reforms also propose introducing 11 specialised career streams from which prospective corps members would choose during registration based on career interests and aspirations.
Other proposals include strengthening skills acquisition programmes, replacing the traditional khaki uniform with locally made attire and appointing a civilian instead of a military officer to head the scheme.
Agbese cautioned against transforming the NYSC into what he described as merely a skills acquisition and vocational training centre.
“NYSC should not be reduced to a skill acquisition/training centre. That is not healthy for our national life,” he said.
The member of the House Committee on Youth argued that some proposed changes could erode the scheme’s core objectives and weaken Nigeria’s broader national defence policy.
According to him, the NYSC remains a strategic national institution whose primary responsibility extends beyond youth development to promoting unity and national cohesion.
“The NYSC scheme is a national institution that has played a critical role in fostering national unity and should not be restructured in a manner that compromises its founding ideals,” he said.
Agbese also defended the scheme’s longstanding military orientation, arguing that it promotes discipline, patriotism and preparedness among young graduates serving the nation.
He opposed appointing a civilian to lead the organisation, insisting the military tradition remains central to achieving the scheme’s objectives.
The lawmaker said the NYSC had consistently supported national development by deploying corps members to education, healthcare, electoral duties and other emergency response operations nationwide.
According to him, these contributions demonstrate that the scheme remains an important national asset deserving careful and inclusive policy consideration before significant structural changes are introduced.
“I urge President Bola Tinubu to establish an expanded committee comprising security experts, lawmakers, former NYSC officials, youth groups and other critical stakeholders,” he said.
The proposed committee, he said, should undertake a more extensive review before any reforms are implemented to ensure the scheme’s foundational objectives remain protected.
Agbese recalled that the NYSC was established on May 22, 1973, by Gen. Yakubu Gowon following the Nigerian Civil War to promote reconciliation and national unity.
He noted that for more than five decades, graduates had been posted outside their states of origin, encouraging cultural exchange and addressing manpower shortages across critical sectors.
According to him, the scheme has also strengthened inter-ethnic understanding, supported community development projects and contributed to government health campaigns, elections and emergency interventions.
He observed that although previous administrations had introduced adjustments, the current proposals represented the most extensive restructuring since the NYSC’s establishment.
“While successive administrations have introduced policy adjustments to improve the scheme, the current proposals represent the most far-reaching restructuring effort since the NYSC’s creation,” Agbese said.
He added that the significance of the proposals made careful consultation imperative because the future direction of the NYSC would have lasting implications for national unity and development. (NAN)