NYSC Now Cheap Labour, Should Not Be Compulsory – Amadi

The Director of the Abuja School of Social Thought and Politics, Sam Amadi, has said the one-year National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) scheme should no longer be compulsory for Nigerian graduates.

Amadi stated this on Tuesday during an interview on News Central Television while speaking on the recent NYSC reforms proposed by President Bola Tinubu.

He said the scheme had failed to properly address Nigeria’s development needs and should be redesigned to focus on literacy, skills development and innovation.

Amadi argued that the current structure of the scheme had made corps members a source of cheap labour, especially for private sector employers.

“National service should not be compulsory. The NYSC has become cheap labour for the private sector,” he said.

According to him, the Federal Government’s proposed reforms should go beyond structural adjustments and address the deeper purpose of the scheme.

He said, “So, the argument here is that the proposed National Youth Service Corps reforms should go beyond structural changes.

“There should be a redesign of the scheme to prioritise literacy, skills development and innovation as part of Nigeria’s broader development agenda.”

Amadi said national service should be made more attractive and competitive, with clear benefits for participants.

“You should make it a status that the corps members have a lot of advantages, and it’s competitive,” he said.

He expressed concern that the current reform proposal might not be strong enough to transform the scheme into a meaningful development platform.

“So, my worry is that this reform still keeps it like a kind of a loose platform that does not address any seriously thought-out development agenda,” Amadi added.