- The Reform NYSC Campaign called on the federal government to prioritise funding and camp rehabilitation over new reforms
- The group warned that some proposed NYSC reforms could push the Scheme’s annual running cost beyond N1 trillion
- Former corps members urged the National Assembly, state governments and private partners to support NYSC infrastructure upgrades
Abuja, FCT – A coalition of former corps members and civil society groups has urged the Federal Government to increase budgetary allocations to the National Youth Service Corps and carry out urgent repairs to orientation camps across Nigeria, warning against reform proposals that could push the Scheme’s annual costs above N1 trillion.
The Association of Former Members of the NYSC, working alongside civil society organisations under the Reform NYSC Campaign (RNC), said that fixing deteriorating infrastructure and improving the welfare of serving corps members must come before any broader restructuring of the Scheme.
Camps in Poor Condition, Groups Say
In a statement signed by RNC Coordinator Comrade Godsown Aigbe and Spokesperson Princess Mariam Idris, the groups said many orientation camps currently lack adequate accommodation, clean water, healthcare facilities, proper sanitation, and recreational infrastructure, conditions they described as unsuitable for corps members completing their orientation programme.
The RNC called on the Federal Government to carry out a full assessment of all NYSC orientation camps and roll out a phased rehabilitation plan to bring them up to acceptable national standards.
The groups also pushed for higher annual allocations to the Scheme so that the NYSC management can meet its obligations to corps members in areas such as allowances, healthcare, transportation, security and insurance.
“The immediate reforms required in the NYSC are clear: government must improve funding and rebuild and modernise the orientation camps. These are the pressing issues that directly affect the welfare, safety and experience of corps members,” the statement read.
RNC Warns Against Costly Reform Proposals
While the groups said they were not opposed to reform in principle, they cautioned that proposals currently being discussed could multiply the NYSC’s annual running costs to well over N1 trillion, which they described as difficult to justify given the country’s competing developmental needs.
“Any reform that does not address these fundamental challenges but instead creates additional layers of expenditure risks turning the NYSC into an increasingly expensive bureaucracy without necessarily improving its core objectives,” the statement added.
The RNC urged President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to place corps member welfare and camp rehabilitation at the centre of any effort to reposition the Scheme, and called on the National Assembly to strengthen its oversight of NYSC funding appropriations.
The groups also appealed to state governments, businesses and development partners to consider public-private partnerships to support camp rehabilitation and the provision of basic infrastructure.
The RNC reaffirmed its view that the NYSC remains a critical institution for national unity, describing it as one of the few platforms that brings together young Nigerians from different ethnic, religious and regional backgrounds in a shared national experience.
Source: Legit.ng