Sam Amadi, who leads the Abuja School of Social Thought and Politics, recently argued that the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) is no longer serving its intended purpose. Speaking on the Arise Television Morning Show, he stated that while the program may have been successful in the past, it has fundamentally failed to meet current national needs.
Amadi highlighted that elite families frequently manipulate the system to ensure their children are posted to preferred locations like Lagos or Abuja. This culture of self-selection undermines the original goal of national integration. Furthermore, he noted that the government lacks the resources to ensure the safety of participants, leading to tragic outcomes and growing frustration among young graduates who only participate due to a lack of other job opportunities.
Addressing the insecurity in certain regions, Amadi suggested that the government should refrain from deploying corps members to volatile states such as Imo. He criticized the obsession with equal distribution, arguing that the focus should shift toward student safety and strategic national development rather than forced symbolism. With the current influx of graduates from various institutions, Amadi proposed that the scheme should be downsized, made voluntary, or restructured to prioritize national needs over universal participation.
