PORT HARCOURT/Nigeria: An educationist and lecturer at the University of Port Harcourt, Dr. Elechi Owhoeke, has dismissed calls for the scrapping or suspension of the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC), describing the scheme as one of Nigeria’s most enduring instruments for national integration, youth empowerment and socio-economic development.
Owhoeke, a lecturer in the Department of Industrial Chemistry and Petrochemical Technology, University of Port Harcourt, stated this in Port Harcourt while reacting to recent debates over the future of the 53-year-old scheme. He argued that abolishing the NYSC would be counterproductive, warning that it could aggravate youth unemployment and insecurity by leaving thousands of fresh graduates without structured engagement after completing their tertiary education.
According to him, the one-year mandatory national service has continued to provide young graduates with opportunities to contribute meaningfully to national development while acquiring practical skills and work experience. He noted that the programme also serves as a transition from the classroom to the labour market, helping many participants discover career opportunities and entrepreneurial pathways.
“If graduates are left idle after leaving school, many could become vulnerable to negative influences and activities capable of threatening public peace and national security,” he said.
The university don particularly commended the NYSC’s Skills Acquisition and Entrepreneurship Development (SAED) programme, describing it as one of the scheme’s greatest achievements over the past decade. He said the initiative has produced thousands of entrepreneurs who have established successful businesses, created jobs and reduced pressure on Nigeria’s already saturated labour market, while contributing significantly to the nation’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP).
While defending the continued existence of the scheme, Owhoeke called for comprehensive reforms to make it more impactful. He urged the Federal Government to create a clear pathway from national service to sustainable employment by signing into law the proposed NYSC Trust Fund Bill. According to him, the fund would provide a dedicated pool of resources to strengthen the SAED programme, expand access to grants and low-interest credit facilities, and enable more corps members to establish viable businesses after completing their service year.
He further observed that beyond promoting youth development, the NYSC continues to provide critical manpower support to state and local governments across strategic sectors of the economy. He identified education, healthcare, agriculture, environmental sanitation, nutrition and community development as areas where corps members have continued to bridge manpower gaps and improve service delivery, particularly in underserved rural communities.
Owhoeke also maintained that the scheme has remained faithful to its founding objective of fostering national unity by exposing young Nigerians to cultures, traditions and lifestyles different from their own. He noted that the programme has helped strengthen inter-ethnic understanding, built lasting friendships across regional divides and facilitated thousands of inter-tribal marriages, thereby reinforcing national cohesion.
Recalling that the NYSC was established in May 1973 by the administration of General Yakubu Gowon in the aftermath of the Nigerian Civil War, the educationist said its relevance has not diminished over the past 53 years. Rather than scrap or suspend what he described as a priceless national asset, he urged the Federal Government to improve security across the country, strengthen the operational framework of the scheme and implement reforms that would enhance its contribution to national development. “The NYSC remains a win-win initiative for Nigeria. Its continued existence is in the best interest of the country, and what it requires today is strengthening—not abolition,” he said.
