Two public affairs commentators have called on the Federal Government to adopt a more inclusive and legally compliant approach to the proposed reforms of the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC), insisting that meaningful changes to the scheme must be backed by legislation and extensive stakeholder consultations.
Speaking separately on Frontline, a current affairs radio programme legal practitioner and public policy analyst, Liborous Oshoma, and Executive Director of the Centre for Responsive Governance, Ologun, agreed that the NYSC requires reforms but cautioned against rushing the process.
Oshoma argued that because the NYSC was established by an Act of the National Assembly, any major changes to its structure and operations must first be reflected through amendments to the law.
“The federal government cannot introduce reforms to the NYSC unilaterally without amending the Act,” he said, stressing that reforms affecting statutory provisions require legislative approval.
He urged the government to engage universities, corps members, youth groups and other stakeholders before forwarding any amendment bill to the National Assembly, adding that wider consultations would strengthen public confidence in the process.
Oshoma also defended proposals to incorporate locally produced fabrics into NYSC uniforms, urging Nigerians to focus on the economic benefits rather than ethnic sentiments.
“Let’s look at the economics of it and remove the issue of tribalism and sentiments. What will promote local industries and create jobs should be our focus,” he said.
Similarly, Ologun called on the Federal Government to suspend implementation of the proposed reforms pending comprehensive public hearings, arguing that youth-focused policies should emerge from broad-based consultations.
“The reforms should be suspended until the right thing is done through public hearings involving everyone concerned with youth development,” he said.
While acknowledging that the NYSC has lost some of its original relevance and requires review, Ologun maintained that government should improve existing entrepreneurship and empowerment programmes within the scheme rather than presenting them as entirely new initiatives.
He also expressed reservations about proposals to reduce military influence in the NYSC, arguing that the orientation camp system has remained one of the scheme’s strongest tools for instilling discipline among young graduates.
Both commentators, however, agreed that the NYSC remains an important national institution for youth development and integration, urging the government to pursue reforms that strengthen the scheme while ensuring transparency, inclusiveness and compliance with the law.
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