A member of the House of Representatives, Philip Agbese, has asked President Bola Tinubu to suspend the ongoing reforms of the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC), saying the proposed changes could weaken the scheme’s original purpose of promoting national unity.
Agbese, who represents Ado/Okpokwu/Ogbadibo Federal Constituency in Benue State, made the appeal in a private letter sent to the President following recent reforms approved by the Federal Executive Council.
The lawmaker said the proposed restructuring had generated growing public concern, with many Nigerians questioning its impact on the future of the NYSC. While some citizens have called for the scheme to be scrapped completely, others believe the reforms could change its founding objectives of fostering national integration and unity among young graduates.
Agbese urged President Tinubu to set up a multi-disciplinary committee to carry out a detailed review of the approved reforms before they are implemented. He warned that introducing major changes without broader consultation could affect national security, reduce cultural interaction among young Nigerians and weaken one of the country’s long-standing unity programmes.
He also raised concerns about several parts of the reform package, including plans to replace the traditional NYSC khaki uniform with Adire fabric, extend the orientation camp period to six weeks, introduce a three-phase training programme, adopt skills-based deployment, automate the call-up process, organise formal graduation ceremonies and move the scheme toward civilian operational leadership.
According to the lawmaker, replacing the military-led structure of the NYSC with civilian leadership is the most troubling aspect of the reforms. He argued that placing a civilian in charge while still depending on military personnel for security operations could create gaps in the chain of command and affect coordination within the scheme.
Agbese maintained that the NYSC remains an important national institution and urged the Federal Government to carefully examine the proposed reforms before taking further steps. He said any decision affecting the programme should protect its role in strengthening unity, building relationships across different regions and supporting national development.