July 6 (THEWILL) — Deputy Spokesman of the House of Representatives and member representing Ado/Okpokwu/Ogbadibo Federal Constituency of Benue State, Philip Agbese, has urged President Bola Tinubu to suspend the Federal Government’s proposed reforms to the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC), warning that some of the recommendations could undermine the scheme’s core mandate of fostering national unity and integration.
Agbese, who made the appeal in a statement on Sunday, called on the President to constitute a broader committee comprising security experts, lawmakers, former NYSC officials, youth organisations and other critical stakeholders to undertake a comprehensive review before any of the proposed changes are implemented.
THEWILL earlier reported that the Federal Government through the Minister of Youth Development, Ayodele Olawande, haf unveiled a raft of reform proposals as part of efforts to reposition the 53-year-old national service scheme to better align with current national development priorities and the evolving needs of Nigerian youths.
Among the proposed reforms are the restructuring of the orientation camp into three phases to provide more structured activities, the introduction of 11 specialised career streams from which prospective corps members would choose based on their interests and career aspirations, expansion of skills acquisition programmes, replacement of the traditional khaki uniform with locally produced attire, and the appointment of a civilian instead of a military officer as Director-General of the scheme.
While acknowledging that the NYSC requires periodic reforms to remain relevant, Agbese cautioned against changes that, in his view, could fundamentally alter the philosophy behind its establishment.
“NYSC should not be reduced to a skill acquisition/training centre. That is not healthy for our national life,” the lawmaker said.
According to him, the NYSC remains one of Nigeria’s most strategic national institutions, with responsibilities extending beyond youth empowerment to promoting patriotism, national cohesion and peaceful coexistence among the country’s diverse ethnic and religious groups.
“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 stated.
Agbese also defended the scheme’s longstanding military orientation, arguing that the paramilitary structure has over the years instilled discipline, resilience, patriotism and a spirit of national service in successive generations of Nigerian graduates.
He opposed the proposal to appoint a civilian to head the organisation, insisting that military leadership remains central to achieving the objectives for which the scheme was established.
The lawmaker further argued that the NYSC has continued to make invaluable contributions to national development through the deployment of corps members to schools, healthcare facilities and underserved communities, while also supporting electoral processes, public health campaigns, disaster response efforts and other national assignments.
According to him, those contributions demonstrate that the scheme remains an important national asset whose future should not be determined without extensive consultations.
“I urge President Bola Tinubu to establish an expanded committee comprising security experts, lawmakers, former NYSC officials, youth groups and other critical stakeholders,” Agbese said.
He explained that such a committee should be mandated to carry out a holistic review of the reform proposals to ensure that any eventual restructuring preserves the NYSC’s founding objectives while addressing contemporary challenges facing the scheme.
Agbese recalled that the NYSC was established on May 22, 1973, by the administration of former Head of State, Yakubu Gowon, in the aftermath of the Nigerian Civil War as a national reconciliation initiative aimed at rebuilding trust, promoting unity and encouraging integration among Nigerians.
He noted that for more than five decades, the scheme has enabled graduates to serve outside their states of origin, thereby promoting cultural exchange, strengthening inter-ethnic understanding and helping to bridge manpower shortages in critical sectors across the country.
Beyond education and healthcare, Agbese said corps members have continued to play significant roles in community development projects, voter registration and elections, immunisation campaigns, emergency interventions and other government programmes that directly impact citizens.
He observed that although previous administrations had introduced policy adjustments to improve the effectiveness of the scheme, the current proposals represent the most far-reaching 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,” he said.
The lawmaker stressed that the significance of the proposed changes makes broad consultation imperative, noting that decisions taken on the future direction of the NYSC would have lasting implications for national unity, youth development and Nigeria’s long-term socio-economic stability.
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