The National Alliance for Democratic (NAD) has called on President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to ensure that the ongoing reform of the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) preserves the scheme’s original mandate of promoting national unity and integration.
In a statement obtained by The News Chronicle on Friday, the group’s National Convener, Dr. Lucky Eremosele, said while reforms aimed at modernising the NYSC were welcome, they must not undermine its core objective of fostering national cohesion.
According to Eremosele, some of the proposed reforms could weaken the NYSC’s role as a nation-building institution if not carefully implemented. He urged President Tinubu to ensure that the review process reflects the vision upon which the scheme was established.
The group also advocated for broader consultations with key stakeholders, including the NYSC’s founding fathers, traditional rulers, youth organisations and civil society groups, before any major changes are adopted.
NAD specifically appealed for a meeting between President Tinubu and former Heads of State and Presidents, including Yakubu Gowon, Olusegun Obasanjo, Ibrahim Babangida, Ernest Shonekan, and Abdulsalami Abubakar, describing their experience as vital to achieving sustainable reforms.
Eremosele stressed that Nigeria’s prevailing security challenges and ethno-religious divisions make it necessary to strengthen institutions that encourage interaction and understanding among young Nigerians from different regions.
He also cautioned against reforms such as technology-driven mobilisation and specialised career streams if they could create inequalities or reduce opportunities for meaningful national service.
The alliance maintained that the NYSC has played a significant role in post-civil war reconciliation by exposing graduates to Nigeria’s diverse cultures through inter-state deployment.
NAD further commended serving and former corps members for their contributions to national development and urged the Federal Government to prioritise their safety and welfare as part of any review of the scheme.
The group concluded that any reform of the NYSC must be guided by the national interest, insisting that preserving Nigeria’s unity should remain the scheme’s overriding objective.
