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By Gloria Ikibah

A coalition of civil society organisations and youth groups has announced plans to convene a national dialogue on proposed reforms to the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC), seeking to ensure that the review process reflects the views of Nigerians before the Federal Government takes a final position.

The initiative, being organised by the Centre for Equity, Justice and Transparency in partnership with the Save Nigeria Movement, is expected to bring together policymakers, academics, former corps members, youth organisations, security agencies and other stakeholders to examine the future of the scheme and recommend practical reforms.

Convened by legal practitioners Sorkaa Tsembelee and Patrick Agbese, the one-day dialogue aims to generate a comprehensive working document that will be presented to the Federal Government as part of ongoing efforts to review the NYSC Act.

In a statement issued on Friday, the organisers said the forum was intended to provide an inclusive platform where stakeholders could contribute meaningfully to the reform process.

The statementread: “The essence of this dialogue is for critical stakeholders to make input into the proposed NYSC reforms before the President’s administration takes final decisions.

“We will have senior academics, former corps members, youth groups and other members of 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 say their own.”

Established in 1973 after the Nigerian Civil War, the NYSC was designed to promote national unity, encourage integration among young graduates and foster national development through compulsory service outside their states of origin. Over the decades, corps members have played significant roles in education, healthcare, agriculture and community development, particularly in underserved communities.

However, growing concerns over the safety and welfare of corps members, inadequate funding, deployment policies and questions surrounding the relevance of some aspects of the programme have fuelled calls for a comprehensive review.

The organisers said the dialogue will assess whether the scheme still aligns with its founding objectives while identifying legislative and policy changes needed to address present-day realities.

They maintained that while reforms were necessary, the NYSC’s central mission of promoting national cohesion should be preserved alongside efforts to strengthen skills development, entrepreneurship and youth empowerment.

“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”, it added,.

According to the organisers, discussions will focus on critical issues including corps members’ welfare, security, orientation camp facilities, deployment procedures, funding mechanisms and the effectiveness of the Community Development Service (CDS) programme.

They added that academics will provide comparative analyses of national service models in other countries, while security agencies would offer institutional perspectives on improving the protection of corps members, particularly those posted to areas affected by insecurity.

“We cannot discuss NYSC reforms without hearing from those who secure the environment in which corps members serve. The CDS and the Army have institutional knowledge that is indispensable.

“Their perspectives on logistics, security and inter-agency coordination will enrich the final document.

“Senior academicians will help us situate the proposed reforms within the broader context of nation-building. We need evidence-based contributions, not just opinions”, the said.

The organisers said the ultimate goal was to produce practical recommendations capable of informing both legislative and executive action.

They explained that the final report would reflect contributions from former corps members, scholars, security agencies, youth organisations and civil society groups, providing government with workable proposals for strengthening the scheme without compromising its original mandate.

“The working document that emerges from this dialogue must be something the government can work with.
“It should reflect the views of those who have served, those who teach, those who protect, and those who advocate.

“Anything less would be a missed opportunity. We are calling on all stakeholders to come prepared to engage constructively.

“The future of the NYSC is too important to be decided in isolation. This national dialogue is our contribution to an open, inclusive process”, the statement further read. 

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The Minister of Power, Joseph Tegbe, has declared that President Bola Tinubu’s administration has no intention to jerk up electricity tariffs beyond the current level.

He disclosed this during a media briefing in Abuja on Friday.

According to him, the Tinubu administration’s priorities are improving electricity service delivery, expanding access to electricity, and ensuring that Nigerians pay only for the electricity they consume.

The minister said that, over the last two weeks, the country has consistently generated 5,000 megawatts of electricity.

“We are already witnessing encouraging improvements in electricity generation. Over the course of the last two weeks, we have consistently generated 5,000MW.

“Permit me to address two issues that have generated considerable public discussion. First, there is no policy by this administration to increase electricity tariffs beyond the current level. Our priority is not a tariff increase in the immediate term. Our priority is service improvement, universal metering, and ensuring Nigerians pay only for the electricity they actually consume,” he stated.

He added that the objective of the Federal Government is to provide reliable electricity to homes across the country.

“Our ambition is clear: reliable electricity that powers our homes.”

Tegbe’s comments come amid debate over a fresh electricity tariff hike, fuelled by remarks made by Tinubu’s Special Adviser on Power Infrastructure, Sadiq Wanka.

Nigerian electricity consumers have kicked against the proposed electricity tariff hike.

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A fresh twist has greeted the recent passing of senior military intelligence officer, Colonel Abdulrasaq Abdussalam Ude, who was killed while returning to his residence at Kurudu area in Abuja Municipal Area Council of the Federal Capital Territory.

The officer was attacked shortly after returning to his home on Monday evening, July 27, 2026. His driver and security guard also sustained gunshot wounds during the assault.

It was learnt the attackers attempted to abduct the officer but met stiff resistance.

“He resisted them. From what investigators have gathered, they wanted to take him away, but he fought back. Unfortunately, he paid the ultimate price,” a source familiar with the preliminary investigation was quoted to have said.

After failing to take him away, the assailants allegedly shot the officer multiple times before fleeing the scene.

His wife, driver and security guard, who were caught in the attack, were rushed to the hospital and are receiving treatment for varying degrees of gunshot injuries.

But in a Facebook post on Wednesday, one Ali Chukwudi, who identified himself as the deceased’s brother-in-law, described the attack as a calculated murder rather than a failed abduction.

“Yesterday, Nigeria failed one of its finest. My brother-in-law, Colonel Abdulrazaq Abdulkareem Ude, a senior intelligence officer who dedicated years of his life to defending this nation, was not killed while resisting a kidnapping, as some reports may have claimed. He was deliberately targeted and brutally assassinated,” Chukwudi wrote.

“The attackers shot him in the head, killing him. They also shot his wife, my sister, in the leg. The driver and the gate man were both shot in the legs as well. As I write this, my sister is in the hospital, fighting to survive,” he added.

Chukwudi said the late colonel had served Nigeria loyally for years and was only months away from a promotion he described as well-deserved.

He further described the killing as a direct attack on a patriotic officer.

Chukwudi urged authorities to conduct a thorough and transparent investigation.

Neighbours speak on last moments of late officer

Speaking to our reporters yesterday, one of the residents, identified as Amina, who previously lived in the colonel’s residence before relocating to a nearby plaza after he (Ude) moved in with his family, said the late officer allowed her family to remain close by and paid for the place they now occupy.

She described the colonel as a kind and humble man who maintained a close relationship with her family.

Amina said the colonel, who usually travelled on Mondays and returned on Fridays, unexpectedly returned home between 9pm and 10pm on the fateful Monday while it was raining.

She said her son, Sani, who usually opened the gate whenever the officer returned home, rushed to open it after hearing the vehicle’s horn.

According to her, her husband, Usman, also walked towards the house to welcome the colonel, but came under gunfire moments after the gate was opened.

“My husband later told me that immediately the gate was opened, the attackers opened fire on him. He dived into a culvert and lay on the ground before escaping by jumping over a fence. He came back shouting that they were going to kill his boss,” she said.

Amina said her husband believed lying inside the culvert gave him a better chance of surviving the attack before he eventually escaped.

She said the sound of gunfire continued for several minutes, adding that residents could not count the number of shots fired.

She also said residents believed about five armed men carried out the attack, but no one saw how they arrived or how they escaped, as they were not seen with any vehicle or motorcycle.

Amina said her son, Sani, who opened the gate for the colonel that night, sustained a gunshot wound to the thigh and is receiving treatment alongside the colonel’s wife.

When Daily Trust visited the area yesterday, the colonel’s daughter was seen returning to the house with women from the community who had gone to sympathise with the family.

However, the woman declined requests for an interview, saying she was still traumatised by the incident.

The colonel’s younger brother, Yusuf Ude, told Daily Trust that he was not at the residence when the attack occurred.

He said the officer’s wife was recovering from her injuries and that the family was currently focused on her treatment.

Asked whether the military had deployed additional security to the residence, Yusuf said he could not confirm the situation for now, noting that the family would have a clearer picture after she recovered.

During the visit, Daily Trust observed a heavy military presence around the residence, with armed soldiers stationed in the area, including personnel in a military Hilux vehicle and a black military van.

Some soldiers were also positioned inside an uncompleted building overlooking the neighbourhood.

A Daily Trust reporter approached officers in the black military van for comments, but one of the officers, who identified himself simply as Umar, declined, saying those authorised to speak on the matter were not around.

Residents who spoke with Daily Trust said the incident has left many living in fear, with several calling for improved security in the community to prevent a recurrence.

Our reporters observed that the late officer’s apartment, which is located in the Phase 5 area of the Post Army Housing Estate in Kurudu, is within an isolated area.

It was learnt that it was not too long that the officer moved into the area.

The killing has sent shockwaves through military circles, as Colonel Ude was preparing for promotion to the rank of Brigadier General.

An indigene of Enugu State, the late officer served in several strategic intelligence and counter terrorism roles within the Armed Forces.

He participated in operations against insurgents in the North East and was also deployed on specialised international assignments in Chad and France, where he contributed to intelligence and security cooperation.

The remains of Colonel Ude was buried on Tuesday after a funeral prayer at the Mambilla Mosque in Abuja in accordance with Islamic rites.

Colleagues described him as a courageous and highly respected intelligence officer whose dedication to duty earned him widespread admiration within the military.

The incident occurred about two years after retired Brigadier General Uwem Harold Udok was killed by armed men who invaded his residence in the Lokogoma area of Abuja while he was defending his family. (Adapted from a Daily Trust report)