NYSC: The Price of Serving Nigeria

On 1 October, as Nigerians celebrated 66 years of independence with patriotic speeches, parades, and prayers, 20 young Nigerians were detained on an Imo road. They were not fleeing the country, nor were they on a private adventure. They were heading to orientation camps in Abia and Akwa Ibom states to begin the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) programme.

A week later, on 7 October, they were rescued during a joint operation by security agencies and received medical attention. While their rescue is commendable, it raises a question about the dangerous exposure of young Nigerians traveling to fulfill a compulsory national obligation.

The NYSC was established in 1973 during the aftermath of a civil war that severely damaged the concept of Nigeria as a unified nation. Its original purpose was to promote national integration, expose young Nigerians to diverse communities and cultures, and instill a sense of service. Over the past five decades, millions of graduates have participated in the scheme, forming lifelong friendships, discovering new parts of the country, gaining employment, acquiring practical skills, or returning home with a more nuanced understanding of their nation.

However, is the NYSC obsolete? Not necessarily. In a country grappling with ethnic suspicion, regional anxieties, and the politics of belonging, there is value in compelling young Nigerians to live and work temporarily outside their familiar environments. Nonetheless, the more pressing question is whether a programme conceived in a drastically different Nigeria can continue to operate in the same manner as the country has changed.

In 1973, sending a young graduate from one part of Nigeria to another posed risks, but kidnapping was not a concern in planning inter-state journeys. Today, the security environment has drastically shifted, rendering deployment without a significant change in safety planning negligent.

The recent abduction of 20 prospective corps members traveling from Ibadan to orientation camps in Abia and Akwa Ibom highlights the vulnerability of young Nigerians during this mandatory service. Their journey became risky, and the state had an interest in their safety and well-being. The NYSC system acknowledges this responsibility through its Corps Welfare and Health Services Department, which ensures security, welfare, accident cases, insurance, health, and tracing of corps members.

The legal framework also assigns responsibility for their security during NYSC formations and provides government-backed healthcare and emergency access.

If the state is aware of the security risks, what does "risk-sensitive deployment" mean if it does not include risk-sensitive transportation? If a route is too dangerous for government officials, military personnel, or senior civil servants, why should a 24-year-old graduate be expected to undertake the journey? While it is impractical to make every dangerous road completely safe, reasonable precautions are essential.

The Federal Executive Council recently approved comprehensive reforms for the NYSC, including risk-sensitive deployment, a redesigned orientation programme, skills development, and improved camp standards. These reforms are encouraging, but the October incident serves as an uncomfortable test of whether reform is merely a collection of attractive phrases or an operational commitment.

Risk-sensitive deployment cannot simply involve identifying dangerous states on a spreadsheet while leaving young people to travel on ordinary buses through dangerous highways. Moreover, corps members should not be treated as mere demographics; they are someone's sons or daughters, younger brothers or sisters, who have spent years studying and faced numerous challenges.

The NYSC must balance its objectives of national integration and service with the imperative of ensuring the safety of young Nigerians during their service.