The Group Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of Transworld Security, Dr. Victoria Ekhomu, has urged the Federal Government to adopt a more intelligence-driven and risk-based approach to the deployment of National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) members, saying the safety of young graduates must remain paramount as the country grapples with persistent security challenges.

Ekhomu made the call while reacting to the Federal Government’s directive that corps members be deployed to states facing security challenges. She acknowledged that the NYSC scheme has remained one of Nigeria’s most enduring nation-building programmes, fostering national integration, cultural exchange and unity among young Nigerians from different ethnic and religious backgrounds.

While describing the objectives of the scheme as laudable, she stressed that no policy aimed at promoting national unity should expose corps members to avoidable danger. According to her, every deployment decision should be guided by comprehensive security risk assessments carried out by professional security and intelligence agencies.

She explained that the security situation across Nigeria is far from uniform, noting that while some states experience isolated security concerns that can be managed through effective security arrangements, others continue to battle terrorism, insurgency, banditry, kidnapping, communal conflicts and violent criminal activities.

Ekhomu maintained that deployment decisions should not rely on broad geographical classifications but rather on current intelligence, continuous threat assessments and the government’s demonstrated capacity to provide adequate protection for corps members. She noted that security remains dynamic and that deployment policies should be flexible enough to reflect changing realities across different parts of the country.

The security expert warned that implementing the policy without adequate safeguards could expose corps members to kidnapping, terrorist attacks, armed robbery, communal violence and psychological trauma. Such incidents, she said, could discourage graduates from participating in the NYSC scheme while increasing anxiety among parents and guardians concerned about the safety of their children.

She also expressed concern that any major security breach involving corps members could weaken public confidence in the NYSC programme and intensify calls for far-reaching reforms or even restructuring of the scheme.

According to Ekhomu, host communities also have much to lose if corps members are unable to serve in their areas. She noted that corps members make valuable contributions to education, healthcare, agriculture and community development across the country. At the same time, she cautioned that security incidents involving corps members could place additional pressure on already stretched security resources within host communities.

To address these concerns, Ekhomu recommended stronger intelligence gathering, improved collaboration among security agencies, rapid emergency response mechanisms, secure accommodation for corps members and regular security awareness briefings throughout their service year. She also advocated the integration of technology into the NYSC security framework through GPS-enabled emergency reporting systems and dedicated communication channels that would enable faster responses during emergencies.

She further called for a review of the existing deployment policy, proposing a dynamic, risk-based framework that assesses individual local government areas instead of categorising entire states as either safe or unsafe. Such an approach, she argued, would enable authorities to suspend deployments immediately whenever security deteriorates and resume postings once conditions improve.

Ekhomu concluded that every Nigerian youth deserves to serve the nation in an environment where reasonable measures have been taken to safeguard lives and property. She said protecting corps members is not only a moral obligation but also essential to sustaining public confidence in one of Nigeria’s most enduring national institutions.