• Home
  • Anti-Corruption
  • Fact-Check
  • Economy
  • National
    • Government
  • Security
  • Features
  • State
  • Event
    • PR Nigeria Award
  • E-Paper
Search
  • Home
  • About
  • Adverts
  • Contact
Sign in
Welcome! Log into your account
Forgot your password? Get help
Password recovery
Recover your password
A password will be e-mailed to you.
PRNIGERIA PRNigeria News
PRNIGERIA PRNIGERIA
  • Home
  • Anti-Corruption
    • Chinese nationals jailed in Lagos

      Court Jails Nine Chinese Nationals for Cybercrime in Lagos

      ASUU

      Tackle Corruption, Institutional Decay – ASUU Charges FG

      EFCC Arraigns Bauchi Accountant General Over N8bn Fraud as Court Sentences…

      PRNigeria logo fearured image

      EFCC Arraigns Ex-Convict, Other for Naira Abuse in Lagos

      EFCC Arrests 37 Suspected Internet Fraudsters in Ilorin

  • Fact-Check
  • Economy
    • Comptroller General Nigerian Customs Bashir Adewale

      Nigeria Customs Takes Anti-Money Laundering Fight to the Skies

      Comptroller General Nigerian Customs Bashir Adewale

      Nigeria Customs, ICPC and the Audit of Conscience

      Customs Diplomacy: Nigeria, Saudi Arabia Ink Mutual Assistance Deal

      Comptroller General Nigerian Customs Bashir Adewale

      Nigeria, Belarus Forge Alliance to Combat Smuggling, Facilitate Trade

      President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and CG Customs, Bashir Adewale Adeniyi

      Tinubu Hails Customs Boss Wale Adeniyi on Historic Election as WCO…

  • National
    • ASUU

      “No Pay, No Work”: ASUU Orders Members to Commence Nationwide Strike

      Nigerian Navy's newest landing ship tank launched in Sharjah, UAE.

      From Lake Chad to the Atlantic: The Nigerian Navy’s Rise as…

      Police Officer

      Police Bust Kidnapping, Cult Gangs, Arrest 8 Suspects, Recover Weapons

      Shittu Yunus Shittu

      Can Nigeria Lead Africa’s AI Revolution? By Shittu Yunus Shittu

      162 years of the Nigerian Army celebrations

      The First Shot and the Long March: Reflections on 162 Years…

    • Government
      • ASUU

        “No Pay, No Work”: ASUU Orders Members to Commence Nationwide Strike

        NPF Champions Regional Security Collaboration as IGP Attends 13th AFRIPOL Meeting…

        At BRICS Summits, Tinubu Pushes for Equality in Global Finance, Health…

        Tinubu conference centre generates N700m in 3 weeks – Wike

        Soldiers

        Soldiers, forest guards to tackle insecurity in Kwara State

  • Security
    • Nigerian Navy's newest landing ship tank launched in Sharjah, UAE.

      From Lake Chad to the Atlantic: The Nigerian Navy’s Rise as…

      NPF Champions Regional Security Collaboration as IGP Attends 13th AFRIPOL Meeting…

      Police Officer

      Police Bust Kidnapping, Cult Gangs, Arrest 8 Suspects, Recover Weapons

      NDLEA Logo

      NDLEA Destroys Cannabis Farms, Seizes 345kg of Drugs, Arrests 37 Suspects…

      NAF Airstrikes, NAF Air, NAF jets

      Scores of Terrorists Eliminated as NAF Bombs Boko Haram Camps in…

  • Features
    • Nigerian Navy's newest landing ship tank launched in Sharjah, UAE.

      From Lake Chad to the Atlantic: The Nigerian Navy’s Rise as…

      What Life Really Looks Like for Nigerians Battling Sickle Cell, By…

      Shittu Yunus Shittu

      Can Nigeria Lead Africa’s AI Revolution? By Shittu Yunus Shittu

      162 years of the Nigerian Army celebrations

      The First Shot and the Long March: Reflections on 162 Years…

      From SDP to ADA to ADC: Can the New Opposition Coalition…

  • State
    • NPF Champions Regional Security Collaboration as IGP Attends 13th AFRIPOL Meeting…

      NDLEA Logo

      NDLEA Destroys Cannabis Farms, Seizes 345kg of Drugs, Arrests 37 Suspects…

      NAF Airstrikes, NAF Air, NAF jets

      Scores of Terrorists Eliminated as NAF Bombs Boko Haram Camps in…

      Troops of Operation FANSAN YANMA

      Troops Foil Coordinated Bandits Attacks, Rescue Kidnap Victims in Katsina

      The suspected notorious Militia member

      Troops Nab Notorious Militia, Recover Weapons in Plateau State

  • Event
    • Asiwaju Adegboyega Solomon Awomolo

      47 Years of Excellence: Honoring Asiwaju Awomolo, SAN

      NCoS inmates

      58 Inmates in Kano Sit for 2025 NECO Exams, Thanks to…

      Troops of the Nigerian Army giving a salute

      162nd Anniversary: Tinubu Salutes Nigerian Army, Hails Troops as Guardians of…

      President & Chairman of Governing Council, Dr. Ike Neliaku

      NIPR Lauds Nigerian PR Firms for Outstanding Performances at 2025 SABRE…

      SCN NGO signs partnership with PRNIGERIA

      SCN NGO Seals Partnership with PRNigeria to Amplify its Humanitarian Projects

    • PR Nigeria Award
  • E-Paper

    NYSC: A Legacy Worth Keeping or Letting Go?

    By
    Maryam Dayyabu Abdulwahab, Nysc
    -
    March 22, 2025
    NYSC Logo

    NYSC: A Legacy Worth Keeping or Letting Go?

    By Maryam Dayyabu Abdulwahab,

    For decades, the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) has been regarded as a rite of passage for Nigerian graduates—a program designed to promote national unity, cultural exchange, and practical work experience.

    Established in 1973, it was meant to heal a country still reeling from the scars of the civil war. But in today’s Nigeria, a country battling insecurity, youth unemployment, and a rapidly changing economy, the relevance of NYSC is widely debated.

    Proponents of NYSC argue that it remains a crucial tool for national cohesion. The scheme forces young graduates out of their comfort zones, exposing them to cultures, traditions, and realities they might never have encountered otherwise.

    In a deeply divided country, where ethnic and religious tensions often run high, NYSC—at least in theory—acts as a bridge, fostering a sense of shared identity. Beyond unity, some see NYSC as an opportunity for personal growth and career development.

    The one-year mandatory service often serves as the first real exposure to the job market, with some corps members securing permanent jobs through their postings. The program also provides a platform for entrepreneurship, especially through its Skill Acquisition and Entrepreneurship Development (SAED) initiative.

    But for every argument in favor of NYSC, there are pressing counterpoints that raise doubts about its continued relevance. One of the biggest concerns is security. In a time when kidnappings, insurgency, and banditry have become rampant, sending young graduates—many of them from urban centers—to volatile areas feels like a dangerous gamble.

    Year after year, reports emerge of corps members being attacked, abducted, or even killed in service. If the government struggles to protect its citizens in general, can it truly guarantee the safety of thousands of fresh graduates scattered across the country?

    Read Also:

    • “No Pay, No Work”: ASUU Orders Members to Commence Nationwide Strike
    • From Lake Chad to the Atlantic: The Nigerian Navy’s Rise as a Force for National and Continental Stability By Musa Ilallah
    • NPF Champions Regional Security Collaboration as IGP Attends 13th AFRIPOL Meeting in Algeria

    Then comes the issue of employment. Nigeria’s job market is brutal, with millions of graduates competing for a limited number of positions. Does NYSC equip young people with skills that make them more employable?

    The reality is that many corps members spend their service year performing menial tasks in government offices, serving as cheap labor rather than gaining valuable experience. In an era where digital skills, entrepreneurship, and innovation drive economies, a program designed in the 1970s hardly aligns with modern workforce demands.

    There is also the economic argument. Running NYSC is an expensive endeavor, with the government bearing the cost of allowances, logistics, and administrative expenses for hundreds of thousands of corps members annually.

    At a time when the country struggles with economic instability and rising debt, is maintaining NYSC still a justifiable priority? Could these funds be better spent on youth empowerment programs that provide long-term opportunities instead of a one-year, often directionless scheme?

    Perhaps the most glaring sign of NYSC’s declining relevance is the way many young Nigerians now view it—not as an opportunity but as an obligation they must endure. What was once seen as an adventure is now often regarded as a waste of time, with many trying to manipulate the system to get postings in cities or even avoid the program altogether.

    When the very people it was designed for begin to question its value, does that not signal a need for urgent reform or even a complete overhaul? NYSC is not without merit, but it is no longer the powerful force it once was.

    If it must continue, then it must evolve. It should be restructured to focus more on skill-building, job creation, and safety. Posting graduates to government offices where they do little to nothing serves no real purpose.

    Instead, corps members should be actively engaged in industries that align with their fields of study and the demands of the modern job market. The challenge is no longer just about NYSC’s existence—it is about its effectiveness.

    In a country that has changed dramatically since 1973, a program designed for a different era must prove that it still holds value, or risk being remembered as a well-intended but outdated experiment.

    VISIT OUR OTHER WEBSITES
    PRNigeria.com EconomicConfidential.com PRNigeria.com/Hausa/
    EmergencyDigest.com PoliticsDigest.ng TechDigest.ng
    HealthDigest.ng SpokesPersonsdigest.com TeensDigest.ng
    ArewaAgenda.com Hausa.ArewaAgenda.com YAShuaib.com
    • TAGS
    • National Youth Service Corps
    • NYSC
    • Skill Acquisition and Entrepreneurship Development
    Previous articleIGP Deploys Maikaba, Ajao 37 Other Police Commissioner to Commands and formations
    Next articleBreaking the Silence on Campus Mental Health
    Maryam Dayyabu Abdulwahab, Nysc
    Maryam Dayyabu Abdulwahab, Nysc
    Xing

    RELATED ARTICLESMORE FROM AUTHOR

    Comptroller General Nigerian Customs Bashir Adewale

    Nigeria Customs Takes Anti-Money Laundering Fight to the Skies

    What Life Really Looks Like for Nigerians Battling Sickle Cell, By Hafsat Ibrahim

    NAF bombardment of terrorists' enclave mounted with solar panels

    NAF Airstrikes Crush Terrorist Camps in Mandara Mountains, Kill Senior JAS Fighters

    BREAKING: Olubadan of Ibadan Dies After One Year on the Throne

    Yushau Shuaib of PRNigeria, Barrister Nima Salman Mann and Rear Admiral A. A. Mustapha of NIPSS

    Cybercrime Allegation: PRNigeria Petitions Police Against NIPSS Officials

    Man caught trying to hack into FCMB

    ‎FACT-CHECK: Was a Man Trapped in Ceiling after Trying to Hack FCMB Bank?

    This man reportedly caught his wife with their driver in a hotel room

    FACT-CHECK: Did a Man Catch His Wife and Driver “Knacking” in a Hotel Room?

    ‎FACT-CHECK: Are Nigerian Soldiers Protecting Cattle Instead of Citizens in Yelewata Benue State as Shown in a Viral Video?

    How a Single Electricity Market Will Empower Africa’s People and Economies

    World’s Largest Electricity Market Kicks Off as AU Launches Steering Committee to Drive Continental Integration

    General Christopher Gwabin Musa, Chief of Defence Staff, CDS

    DHQ, NIS Team Up to Revive Nigerian Sports

    Nigerian Military Troops

    Nigerian Troops Eliminate Scores of Terrorists in Fierce Battle in Borno and Cameroon Border

    Recent Posts

    • “No Pay, No Work”: ASUU Orders Members to Commence Nationwide Strike
    • From Lake Chad to the Atlantic: The Nigerian Navy’s Rise as a Force for National and Continental Stability By Musa Ilallah
    • NPF Champions Regional Security Collaboration as IGP Attends 13th AFRIPOL Meeting in Algeria
    • Nigeria Customs Takes Anti-Money Laundering Fight to the Skies
    • What Life Really Looks Like for Nigerians Battling Sickle Cell, By Hafsat Ibrahim
    • Home
    • About
    • Adverts
    • Contact
    © 2020 PRNigeria. All Rights Reserved.
    Latest News
    "No Pay, No Work": ASUU Orders Members to Commence Nationwide StrikeFrom Lake Chad to the Atlantic: The Nigerian Navy’s Rise as a Force for National and Continental Stability By Musa IlallahNPF Champions Regional Security Collaboration as IGP Attends 13th AFRIPOL Meeting in AlgeriaNigeria Customs Takes Anti-Money Laundering Fight to the SkiesWhat Life Really Looks Like for Nigerians Battling Sickle Cell, By Hafsat IbrahimPolice Bust Kidnapping, Cult Gangs, Arrest 8 Suspects, Recover WeaponsNDLEA Destroys Cannabis Farms, Seizes 345kg of Drugs, Arrests 37 Suspects in EdoGroup Condemns Amaechi’s Comment as Inciteful, DangerousScores of Terrorists Eliminated as NAF Bombs Boko Haram Camps in Mandara MountainsTroops Foil Coordinated Bandits Attacks, Rescue Kidnap Victims in KatsinaNAF Airstrikes Crush Terrorist Camps in Mandara Mountains, Kill Senior JAS FightersAt BRICS Summits, Tinubu Pushes for Equality in Global Finance, Health SystemsTroops Nab Notorious Militia, Recover Weapons in Plateau StateCan Nigeria Lead Africa’s AI Revolution? By Shittu Yunus ShittuTinubu to Troops: You Have My Full Backing to Crush Terrorists, Separatists
    X whatsapp