Nigeria's House of Representatives Orders End to Rejection of NYSC Members by Government Agencies

Nigeria's House of Representatives has directed government ministries, departments, and agencies to cease rejecting National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) members. Lawmakers expressed concern that this "increasingly common practice" undermines the mandatory one-year national service program, established in 1973 to promote national integration and unity.

Sponsored by Rodney Ambaiowei, the motion highlighted the NYSC's original purpose: to foster reconciliation and reconstruction by deploying graduates to states outside their own. This, he argued, encourages interaction among diverse ethnic, religious, and cultural backgrounds, strengthening social ties and contributing to community development.

Ambaiowei noted the scheme's tangible benefits, including enhanced service delivery, cross-cultural integration, business opportunities, and even marriages that have strengthened national cohesion. Many corps members also establish businesses and careers in their host communities post-service, boosting local economies.

However, the lawmaker warned that rejecting corps members deprives graduates of crucial practical experience, leaving them vulnerable to exploitation. He stated that this practice "defeats the purpose of the scheme" and wastes the intended workforce for public and private sectors. The continued payment of corps members' allowances by the federal government, despite their rejection, also represents a waste of public resources.

“

The scheme, which is designed to provide a willing workforce to the public and private sectors, is currently facing setbacks as government establishments are rejecting NYSC corps members, denying them service opportunities and experience. This has left many graduates vulnerable to exploitation by private firms and crime, while wasting the scheme’s intended workforce for public and private sectors.