The National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) remains indispensable for Nigeria’s states, according to the minister in charge of youth affairs, Ayodele Olawande. He argued that without corps members, many sub-national governments would struggle to run essential services and programmes.
In a statement issued Monday Dec 8th, Olawande said corps members contribute significantly to sectors such as health, education, agriculture, and local administration. He emphasized that their deployment often helps states fill critical manpower gaps for example, offering doctors, teachers, and other professionals at little or no cost, compared with what state governments would otherwise have to pay.
He called on state governors and policymakers to resist political or reform pressures that may weaken the scheme, warning that undermining NYSC would impair service delivery and public-sector capacity across the federation.
The minister also urged a review of the NYSC posting and deployment system to align corps members’ skills with where they are posted, enhancing their effectiveness and satisfaction.
In Olawande’s view, the NYSC remains not just a vestige of post-civil-war national integration, but a vital backbone for Nigeria’s state-level development one that deserves both protection and reform.
