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Public Affairs Analyst, and a former Senior Special Assistant to President Goodluck Jonathan on Youth and Student Matters, Jude Imagwe, MON, has called for a comprehensive reform of the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC), urging the Federal Government to reposition the 52-year-old scheme as a strategic national development platform capable of producing skilled, employable, and patriotic young Nigerians.
In a policy reflection titled “Beyond Service Year: Reimagining NYSC as Nigeria’s Youth Development Engine,” Imagwe argued that while the NYSC has remained a symbol of national unity since its establishment in 1973, the country’s evolving security, economic, and labour market realities demand a more robust and future-oriented approach.
He commended the Federal Government, the Minister of Youth Development, and relevant stakeholders for initiating reforms of the scheme but stressed that the exercise must go beyond administrative changes and longer orientation camps.
According to him, the central objective of the reforms should be to produce graduates who are disciplined, skilled, innovative, security-conscious, employable, and committed to national development.
Imagwe proposed restructuring the NYSC orientation programme into a structured national transition curriculum covering leadership, citizenship, digital literacy, entrepreneurship, security awareness, employability, and community development rather than relying on traditional lectures.
He also advocated specialised service tracks aligned with graduates’ academic backgrounds and career aspirations, including education, healthcare, agriculture, technology, public administration, climate action, entrepreneurship, and the creative economy.
The former National President of the National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS) further recommended the introduction of a National Graduate Skills Passport, which would document corps members’ verified skills, leadership experience, community projects, and competencies to improve their employability after service.
On security, Imagwe maintained that while the NYSC remains a civilian programme, the role of the military and paramilitary agencies during orientation should be strengthened to equip corps members with practical knowledge in personal safety, emergency response, civic responsibility, and community resilience.
He also called for technology-driven reforms that would improve skills profiling, deployment, safety monitoring, performance tracking, employer matching, and post-service engagement through a comprehensive digital platform connecting corps members with employers and development partners.
Imagwe emphasised that future reforms should prioritise impact over mobilisation statistics, with measurable outcomes based on employment, entrepreneurship, community development, and skills acquisition.
To ensure effective implementation, he proposed the establishment of an NYSC Reform Implementation Council comprising government agencies, the private sector, educational institutions, and development partners to oversee the reform process with clear timelines and performance benchmarks.
While reaffirming his support for the ongoing reform process, Imagwe cautioned that the exercise must not become cosmetic.
“The NYSC was born to heal a divided nation. Today, it must be reborn to build a productive one,” he stated, adding that the future of the scheme should be measured not by the number of graduates mobilised annually but by how well it prepares young Nigerians to serve, work, lead, innovate, and contribute to national development
