Who is the youth for NYSC’?

Who is a graduate? There are various definitions. But the most acceptable is “a person who has completed a course of study or training, especially a person who has been awarded an undergraduate or first academic degree.” The next question is, what is a degree? “a course of study at a college or university, or the qualification given to a student after he or she has completed his or her studies.” 

In Nigeria, only graduates of tertiary institutions are eligible to participate in the mandatory National Youth Service Corps (NYSC). I wonder why someone who attended a music or culinary school with a good reputation and was awarded certificates cannot participate in the NYSC.

In Section 2 of the NYSC Act, the following persons are eligible for call-up: Nigerian graduates from Nigerian Universities, Polytechnics and other Degree awarding institutions. Nigerian graduates from foreign universities or other degree-awarding institutions. Those who obtained their National Certificate of Education (NCE) between 1975 and 1984.

What is the objective of the NYSC? “The National Youth Service Corps is a program set up by the Nigerian government during the military regime to involve Nigerian graduates in nation-building and the country’s development.” I prefer to substitute the phrase graduates with youths.

Here is my version: The National Youth Service Corps is a program set up by the Nigerian government during the military regime to involve Nigerian ‘youths’ in nation-building and the development of the country.” After all, it is called the National Youth Service, not the National Graduate Service. We may be living in the past. When you think you have seen it all, wait for Sections 12 and 13 of the NYSC Act:

SECTION 12
“For employment anywhere in the Federation and before employment, it shall be the duty of every prospective employer to demand and obtain from any person who claims to have obtained his first degree at the end of the academic year 1973-74 or, as the case may be, at the end of any subsequent academic year the following- a copy of the Certificate of National Service of such person issued under section 11 of this Decree a copy of any exemption certificate issued to such person under section 17 of this Decree such other particulars relevant there to as may be prescribed by or under this Decree.”

“It shall also be the duty of every employer to produce on demand to a police officer, not below the rank of an Assistant Superintendent of Police, any such certificate and particulars or copies thereof.”

SECTION 13
“Any person who fails to report for service in the service corps in the manner directed by the Directorate of, as the case may be, prescribed under the provisions of this Decree, who refuses to make himself available for service in the service corps continuously for the period specified in subsection (2) of this section, is guilty of an offence and liable on conviction to a fine of N2,000 or imprisonment for a term of 12 months or both such fine and imprisonment.”

The NYSC Act is stale. It was convenient at some point in the annals of the country. But not anymore. Is the essence not for the participation of youths in nation-building and development of the country? As of 2019, only 4.7 million youths have participated in the NYSC. Approximately 34 million Nigerians make up the age group 15-35 years as of 2019. That meant that 29.3 million youths didn’t participate or contribute to nation-building and the country’s development.

We are deceiving ourselves. We are still adopting a model designed in 1973 in 2023. That is a clear 50 years. A child born 50 years ago has transformed into a full-fledged adult. Biological, physical, emotional and psychological changes have occurred. But why has the NYSC remained the way it is?

The answer is simple. We have refused to think strategically. We are doing the same thing repeatedly and expecting a different result. For me, the NYSC is a festivity now. It could be labelled a jamboree where a fragment of the youth population in the country travels to other parts of the country for a year.

This piece is to advocate and not criticize. Some years back, I read a book, “Who Moved My Cheese” by Spencer Johnson, an American physician and author. He talked about adapting to changes in life. The book highlighted some lessons. They are: The world is changing, and you must be prepared for it. Move on, let go of the past. Adapt—be open-minded to new things. Learn to enjoy change. Be prepared for continuous change.

We must think again about how we want to maximize the NYSC platform. This platform can translate our hopes and aspirations into tangible realities. Its structure spreads across all the local government areas in the country. Beyond the rigmarole, there is more. The NYSC is the only platform that can control the buzzing youthful population in the country and channel their energies into productive ventures. We can’t scrap it. But we can rejig to reflect the peculiarities of the time. Serious nations are utilizing their youthful population. But we are wasting ours. Youth is one of the largest determinants of a country’s economic growth.

Here is a bit of alternate history. The service period is three months. Participation in the NYSC is restricted to those wishing to pursue a public service career. Recruitment into the public service is from the NYSC database.

There are lessons this government can pick from my analysis. I didn’t advocate for its scrapping. But to innovate. The potential of the NYSC is enormous. We need to innovate it in line with the present realities. The overarching objective is nation-building and the development of the country. I stumbled on a quote: “Engage youth, create a space for them and give them a seat at the table.”

Ocheja, a military historian and doctoral researcher, can be reached via [email protected]