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By Gloria Ikibah

A member of the House of Representatives, Philip Agbese, has urged President Bola Tinubu to suspend the Federal Government’s proposed reformsAggese to the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC), warning that some of the changes could weaken the scheme’s founding purpose and undermine Nigeria’s national defence strategy.

Agbese, who represents Ado/Okpokwu/Ogbadibo Federal Constituency of Benue State and serves on the House Committees on Youth and Defence, made the appeal in a statement issued on Sunday in Abuja.

He argued that although reforms were necessary to keep the NYSC relevant, they should not erode the institution’s core mandate of promoting national unity and preparing young Nigerians for national service.

“Reducing NYSC to a skill acquisition training centre is not healthy for our national life”, Agbese said.

His comments come days after the Minister of Youth Development, Ayodele Olawande, unveiled what the Federal Government described as the first comprehensive review of the NYSC since its establishment in 1973.

The proposed reforms include restructuring the orientation camp into three phases, introducing 11 specialised career streams from which prospective corps members will make their choice during registration, strengthening skills acquisition programmes, replacing the traditional khaki uniform with locally produced attire and appointing a civilian, rather than a military officer, to head the scheme.

The proposals have sparked debate, with supporters describing them as overdue modernisation, while critics fear they could alter the character of the national service programme.

Agbese maintained that the NYSC had evolved into far more than a youth development initiative, saying it had become a strategic national institution that had repeatedly supported the country during periods of national need.

He noted that corps members had over the years played vital roles in education, healthcare, elections and emergency response, making the scheme an important component of Nigeria’s nation-building efforts.

The lawmaker also opposed plans to place the scheme under civilian leadership, arguing that the military culture embedded in the orientation programme helps instil discipline, patriotism and national consciousness among participants.

“Instilling military training in citizens is an international practice that must be sustained”, he added.

According to him, removing that element could diminish one of the NYSC’s defining features and weaken its contribution to national preparedness.

Agbese therefore called on President Tinubu to suspend implementation of the reforms and set up a broader review committee comprising security experts, lawmakers, former NYSC officials, youth organisations and other key stakeholders.

He argued that any restructuring of the scheme should be based on extensive consultation to ensure that its original objectives are preserved while addressing contemporary challenges.

Established on 22 May 1973 by the administration of Yakubu Gowon in the aftermath of the Nigerian Civil War, the NYSC was designed to promote reconciliation, national integration and unity by deploying graduates to states outside their places of origins

Over the past five decades, the scheme has become a key platform for cultural exchange and public service, with corps members contributing to sectors facing manpower shortages while supporting government programmes ranging from healthcare campaigns to election duties and disaster response.

Although successive governments have introduced policy adjustments over the years, the current proposals represent the most extensive attempt to reshape the NYSC since its creation, fuelling a wider national conversation about the future of one of Nigeria’s most enduring institutions.