A United Kingdom–based human rights lawyer and public affairs analyst, Chief Niyi Aborisade, has called for an urgent restructuring of the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC), warning that worsening insecurity across the country has rendered the 51-year-old scheme unsafe and incapable of fulfilling its founding purpose.

In a piece titled “Reflections Without Mirror”, Aborisade noted that the NYSC, created in 1973 by Decree 24 under the administration of General Yakubu Gowon to promote national unity after the civil war, once provided a platform for reconciliation, interethnic friendship and social cohesion. He said the scheme succeeded for decades because Nigeria enjoyed relative stability, rule of law and a shared optimism among its youth.

He said, “The hope for unity by integration has long disappeared. Many corps members have lost their lives or been kidnapped by Boko Haram, bandits and armed herders. Life is worth more than anything, and the safety and security of corps members should now be our priority, not sentiments about tradition.”

Aborisade, a governorship aspirant in Oyo State on the platform of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP), argued that the federal government could no longer guarantee the security of young graduates deployed to volatile states, citing repeated abductions and killings in Borno, Niger, Kebbi, Kwara and other parts of the North.

“Apparently, the government has made it clear by conduct that it can no longer offer them protection. They are on their own,” he said.

While not calling for the outright abolition of the NYSC, the lawyer insisted that the scheme requires a structural overhaul to reflect present realities. He proposed giving corps members the option to serve within their geopolitical zones or home states, similar to the federal government’s recent temporary closure of unity schools due to security threats.

“A parent who has trained a child through university should not be forced by mandatory posting to send that child into hotspots where insurgents operate freely. Posting graduates to danger zones for the sake of unity no longer makes sense,” Aborisade said.

Citing Section 14 of the 1999 Constitution, which places security and welfare of citizens as the primary purpose of government, Aborisade warned that failure to protect corps members amounts to dereliction of duty.

He stressed that the NYSC must be reviewed to ensure safety, restore public confidence and align with Nigeria’s current security landscape. “While we are not calling for the abolition of the scheme, it needs to be revisited and certain changes made to guarantee the security and safety of our corps members,” he said.

Aborisade, a historian and author, maintained that until these reforms are undertaken, the objectives that informed the creation of the NYSC five decades ago cannot be achieved in the present climate of insecurity.