A coalition of concerned Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) and youth groups have resolved to galvanise critical stakeholders’ input to enrich the planned reforms and amendments to the National Youth Service Corps Act.
The coalition under the aegis of Centre for Equity, Justice and Transparency, in collaboration with ‘Save Nigeria Movement’ disclosed this in a statement issued on Friday in Abuja.
The statement, co-signed by the conveners, Mr Sorkaa Tsembelee and Mr Patrick Agbese, noted that the coalition planned to hold a one-day national dialogue on the proposed reforms.
According to Tsembelee, the aim is to provide a platform for critical stakeholders to make meaningful contributions before the Federal Government concludes its review of the scheme.
He added that the dialogue was expected to bring together, senior academics, former corps members, youth organisations, security agencies, including the Chief of Defence Staff and other key stakeholders with indispensable institutional knowledge and memory.
According to him, the future of the NYSC is too important to be decided in isolation, saying that the national dialogue is an effort at an inclusive process.
Tsembelee said the perspectives of the military on logistics, security and inter-agency coordination, would enrich the final document.
The convener added that senior academics would assist in stipulating the proposed reforms within the broader context of nation-building, noting that it needed evidence-based contributions and not just opinions.
“The essence of this dialogue is for critical stakeholders to make input into the proposed NYSC reforms, before the present administration takes its final decisions.
“We will have senior academics, former corps members, youth groups and other members of the society to dissect the proposed reforms thoroughly.
“It will thereafter, catalyse into a working document for the Federal Government. We will invite the CDS, the Army and others; let everyone look at it and make input.
“This is not about tearing down an institution that has served Nigeria well; it is about refining it with the collective wisdom of those who have lived the experience and those who study its impact.
“Former corps members carry practical insights that policymakers often miss and we want those voices at the table.
“Youth groups and civil society must not be spectators while decisions that will shape the next generation of Nigerian graduates are taken; the dialogue creates the space for genuine, structured input,” he said.
Tsembelee said the dialogue would also interrogate the benefits of the scheme, to determine if it had remained faithful to its founding objectives, while identifying legislative and policy adjustments needed to address present-day realities.
The convener added that reforms should preserve the NYSC’s core mandate of promoting national cohesion, while strengthening complementary objectives such as skills acquisition, entrepreneurship and youth empowerment.
He noted that recurring concerns of welfare and security of corps members and funding challenges would be examined.
According to him, issues such as the deployment policies, the relevance of some components of the programme that have intensified, as well as calls for reforms, will also be looked into.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) recalls that the NYSC was established in 1973 in the aftermath of the Nigerian Civil War.
The scheme was created to promote national unity, foster integration among young graduates and encourage nation-building through a compulsory one-year service, outside their states of origin.
Over the years, the scheme has also contributed significantly to manpower development, particularly in underserved rural communities where corps members provide services in education, healthcare, agriculture and community development.
