Whatever the case may be, the debate on whether this is a game-changer or a clear case of kicking the can down the road will persist. Until the proposed changes come into effect, it will be difficult to ascertain and gauge which group of people or side of the divide assertion and opinion carries the air of impressionable reason and irrepressible logic. But until then, one can only wait and see what becomes of the approved reform.
On Monday, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu approved the reform of the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC), a move that seeks to change the operational framework of the scheme and also streamline the actions and activities that characterise it after over five decades of its creation.
The Minister of Youth Development, Ayodele Olawande, disclosed this while addressing newsmen after the Federal Executive Council (FEC) where the approval of the reform took place. Olawande described the reforms as the first holistic assessment of the scheme in its 53-year history. The changes necessitated by the reform are radical and far-reaching. It totally strips the scheme of the decades-long attractions and tantalising features that many have come to identify with it. It ditched the long-standing arrangements that many have come to enjoy about the scheme.
Olawande stated that the approved reforms would reposition the scheme as “a skills-driven, productivity-focused and youth-empowering institution that aligns with President Bola Tinubu’s vision of building a $1 trillion economy.”
According to him, the reforms include “a technology-driven call-up process, risk-sensitive deployment to better protect corps members, a redesigned six-week orientation programme with stronger focus on leadership, entrepreneurship, digital skills and specialised career streams, skills-based primary assignments aligned with academic background and career pathways, modern governance with civilian operational leadership while the military continues to provide security support, improved camp standards through a national grading and certification system, and a new graduation ceremony to replace the Passing Out Parade, alongside a redesigned NYSC uniform that reflects professionalism and national pride.”
Change in leadership structure, uniform and camp activities
A key aspect of the reform is a change in the leadership style and structure of the scheme. It will now be headed by a civilian, while the military will continue to provide security for corps members nationwide. The proposed reforms will also see the NYSC uniform changed. The military drills and the physical training which are key components of the scheme will also be scrapped.
Change in camp duration, overhaul of camp activities and PPA placement.
Another important change that the reform plans to introduce is the extension of the orientation camp from three weeks to six weeks and a total revamp of camp activities. During the proposed six-week camp stay, corps members will receive training and skill acquisition in different fields and areas of interest.
During the six-week camp stay, two weeks will be set aside for civic, leadership, and life skills training; two weeks of basic accounting and financial literacy, access to finance, business planning, and career mapping; and the last two weeks will be a short immersion into your area of interest. So, you may have read mathematics or engineering but be really interested in literature and journalism, environment and climate, or the creative sector.
Corp members will select one of the newly created 11 specialised streams upon registration and will receive specialised training throughout the orientation programme in preparation for future employment and national service.
The 11 specialised streams are: Agric Corps, Medical Corps, Education Corps, Tech and Digital Corps, Legal Corps, Public Service Corps, Infrastructure Corps, Green Corps, Enterprise Corps, Creative Economy Corps, and Paramilitary and Security Corps.
After your 6 weeks, you’ll be posted to a PPA related to your specialised stream to serve for the remainder of your service year.
Physical conditions of camps
Camps will be subjected to grading systems to ensure that they meet minimum standards. State governments will be given a grace period during which to ensure they meet the standards for infrastructure, accommodation, safety and security and healthcare. Factors like state of origin, state of residence, school attended, etc, will be considered during posting.
However, for the reform to take effect, it will be subject to the alteration of the NYSC Act. This would include public consultations and public hearings.
The proposed changes to the scheme, if passed into law, have the potential to change the trajectory and direction of the lives of many graduates post tertiary institution and in the Labour Market. While some see the reform as a long-overdue move, hailing the proposed changes as a welcome development, others see it as a perfunctory and cosmetic exercise that does little or nothing to fix the structural and fundamental issue that plagues not just our educational system but our floundering socio-economic realities.
On the one hand, the supporters and proponents of the reform see the changes made as consequential and critical, they claim it will help bridge the knowledge and skill gap that they say has made many graduates at best ill-equipped for the contemporary job market and at worst, unemployable. On the other hand, critics of the reform have said the wholesale reconfiguration of the scheme is a palpable indictment of the nation’s educational system and the government’s refusal to tackle the very problem at the core of these challenges that they are now hoping a six-skills acquisition programme will fix.
There are also concerns that relevant stakeholders, particularly youths who are largely participants in the scheme, were not consulted before the reform was announced. Whatever the case may be, the debate on whether this is a game-changer or a clear case of kicking the can down the road will persist. The supporters and critics of the proposals will continue to have their say and until the proposed changes come into effect, it will be difficult to ascertain which group of people or side of the divide assertion and opinion carries the air of impressionable reason and irrepressible logic. But until then, one can only wait and see what becomes of the approved reform.
