Seven (7) Reasons for the Establishment of NYSC in Nigeria

INTRO: National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) was established in Nigeria by General Yakubu Dan-Yuma Gowon, the former Head of State of Nigeria with his Decree No. 24 of May 22nd 1973. This establishing law of the programme was later reviewed in 1993 by General Ibrahim Babangida with a 23-section Decree No.51 of 16th June 1993. The programme is compulsory. It mobilizes and deploys Nigerian youths that graduated from universities, polytechnics, and colleges of education to different parts of the country to serve the fatherland for normal minimum of one year. In the service year, they could be posted to ministries, departments and agencies of government, hospitals, farms, schools, sports development centres, private sectors of Nigerian economy, etc. At the end of the service year, the participant is issued with a certificate in recognition of the service rendered to the country. The certificate, or the exemption letter given to those above the age of 30 years is compulsory for job placement in Nigeria. Major reasons for the establishment of NYSC in Nigeria are as follows:

#1        to promote national unity: Nigeria’s corporate existence was pushed to the brinks of disintegration during the Nigerian Civil War 1967 – 1970. The Federal Government under the headship of General Yakubu Gowon declared that keeping Nigeria one was a task that must be done. Gowon won the war for union and not unity following the fall of the splinter Biafra officially on January 15, 1970, and he hit the ground running towards achieving unity, and making the hard-earned peace sustainable. The establishment of NYSC is one of the series of programmes of his policy of Reconstruction, Reconciliation and Rehabilitation. As the programme involves sending fresh graduates out of their states of origin, it helps in building friendship across tongues and tribes in Nigeria; and helps the youths to understand that the other tribes are not as bad as they were painted. It is believed that the ties and tolerance obtainable from NYSC programme would help in promoting unity in Nigeria.


#2        to inculcate discipline and spirit of patriotism in the youths for national development: The corps members are trained by the military, an institution known for their discipline and patriotism. This design is to transfer the traits to the youths, preparing them a disciplined and patriotic leaders and citizens of Nigeria for national development. Towards this end, the corps members in the orientation camps undergo military drills and live regimented lives irrespective of class, caste, sex, or religion of the corps member.


#3        to contribute to the accelerated growth of the national economy: National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) mobilizes youths that are engaged in different productive areas of national economy such as in farms, and in private enterprises. They put in their skills also in education, health, environmental management, and advocacy towards accelerated growth of the Gross Domestic Products (GDP) of the national economy.

#4           to live and work in any part of Nigeria: The design of NYSC was also geared towards availing the youths the opportunity to explore Nigeria, and have greater options in choosing where to live and work. By NYSC, the youths leave their native zones to other parts of the country, and thus, have the frontiers of options available to them expanded for choosing life after service.

#5           to make skills available to areas of needs in Nigeria: Having undergone training in the institutions of higher learning and the orientation camps, the youths are posted to the places across the country where their learned skills are needed. The youths in the corps have provided governmental ministries, departments and agencies, and also the private enterprises with skilled manpower that could only have been purchased with fortune worth of resources. Through NYSC, the skills reach the areas of need with lowest cost possible, and with reliable promise of sustained supply in future.


#6           to prepare the youths for life after graduation: Upon graduation, most of the youthful population in Nigeria ceases to be dependants. The one year compulsory service in which they are given stipends prepares them for life after service. In the service year, they learn how to economize their stipends until the next payday. Good number of the youths use their savings from the service year to start off small enterprises that could be nursed into substantial venture in the future, or for holding on with while they scout for job placements.

#7           to provide greater employment opportunities for the youths: NYSC makes greater job opportunities available to the fresh graduates. Thanks to the programme, many Nigerian graduates landed their lifetime employments especially, by being absorbed into the institution they served; and/or by bagging awards of excellence from the Federal or state governments with automatic job placement in any of the government ministries, agencies and parastatals. Besides these opportunities, NYSC makes it possible for the youths to explore other job opportunities in the host societies.