Scrap NYSC now to save young people – Mahdi Shehu tells Nigerian govt

Activist Mahdi Shehu has called for the scrapping of the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC), arguing that the rising wave of kidnappings across Nigeria has made the compulsory deployment of young graduates increasingly dangerous.
Speaking on Channels Television, Shehu described the abduction of prospective corps members travelling to orientation camps in Akwa Ibom and Abuja as “one incident too many.”

“There are more unreported cases of kidnapping and maiming and detention almost all over the country, especially in the northern part of the country, the Middle Belt, Northwest, Northeast and North Central.”

Shehu said the NYSC was established to promote national unity, but questioned its continued relevance if corps members are exposed to kidnapping, violence and other security threats while travelling to serve outside their home states.

“The entire NYSC was meant to unite Nigeria, but if in uniting Nigeria, you lose your daughter, you lose your son, you lose your uncle, you lose your sister, you lose your neighbour, then it’s not worth the trouble.”

He proposed allowing corps members to serve in their respective states, citing the financial burden and risks associated with interstate deployment.

“Allow each and every copper to serve in his own state, travelling with all the dangers, with all the costs.”

Shehu also questioned the commitment of some political figures to the scheme, alleging that some politicians have falsified NYSC certificates despite not believing in the programme.

“As far as I’m concerned, the NYSC programme has outlived its usefulness. It should be scrapped.”

On the wider security crisis, Shehu said the increasing targeting of corps members and commercial travellers reflected a broader failure of governance and societal responsibility.

“Incidents of kidnapping reflect leadership failure and greed, compounded by followership complacency and enabled by compromised elders and corrupt elements within some security agencies.”

He said criminal groups were increasingly targeting vulnerable people as “soft targets”, including corps members and travellers, while ransom payments could be used to sustain their operations.

“They are now going for soft targets. The next one is blackmailing either the parents or blackmailing the government to collect money.”

Shehu said the situation required a broader examination of the factors enabling kidnapping, rather than focusing only on individual incidents.

“They are sending fear into the community, and they are few.”

He maintained that the growing insecurity should prompt a reassessment of the NYSC system and the wider approach to combating kidnapping across the country.