A member of the House of Representatives, Philip Agbese, has called on President Bola Tinubu to halt the implementation of the recently approved reforms to the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC), warning that key aspects of the proposed overhaul could weaken the scheme's original mission of promoting national unity and contributing to national defence.
Agbese, who represents Ado/Okpokwu/Ogbadibo Federal Constituency in Benue State and serves on the House Committees on Youth and Defence, made the appeal in a statement issued on Sunday in Abuja.
He urged the President to establish a broader review committee comprising security experts, lawmakers, former NYSC officials, youth organisations and other stakeholders to thoroughly assess the proposed reforms before they take effect.
While acknowledging the need to modernise the scheme, Agbese cautioned against changes that could undermine the principles upon which the NYSC was founded after the Nigerian Civil War.
"The NYSC is a national institution that has played a critical role in fostering national unity and should not be restructured in a manner that compromises its founding ideals," he said.
His remarks come after the Federal Government unveiled what the Minister of Youth Development, Ayodele Olawande, described as the first comprehensive review of the NYSC since its establishment in 1973.
The proposed reforms include splitting the orientation camp into three phases, introducing 11 specialised career streams for prospective corps members to select during registration, expanding skills acquisition programmes, replacing the traditional khaki uniform with locally produced attire, and appointing a civilian as Director-General instead of maintaining the current military leadership.
The proposals have generated divided opinions, with supporters describing them as long-overdue reforms aimed at making the scheme more relevant, while critics argue they risk diluting the NYSC's foundational objectives.
Agbese warned against transforming the NYSC into what he described as primarily a vocational training initiative.
"Reducing NYSC to a skill acquisition training centre is not healthy for our national life," he said.
He stressed that the scheme has evolved into a strategic national institution, with corps members regularly deployed to support education, healthcare, elections and emergency response efforts across the country.
The lawmaker also rejected the proposal to place the NYSC under civilian leadership, insisting that its military structure has helped instil discipline, patriotism and a sense of national responsibility among participants.
"Instilling military training in citizens is an international practice that must be sustained," he said.
Established on May 22, 1973, by the administration of General Yakubu Gowon, the NYSC was created as part of Nigeria's post-civil war reconciliation efforts to promote national integration by deploying graduates to states outside their places of origin.
Over the past five decades, the scheme has played a significant role in education, healthcare delivery, electoral support, community development and other national assignments. The current proposals are regarded as the most extensive reforms to the NYSC since its creation.