Growing insecurity across Nigeria is influencing how many prospective National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) members approach their mandatory one-year national service, with safety now taking precedence over the programme’s traditional ideals of national unity and cultural integration.
For many fresh graduates awaiting mobilisation, the excitement that once accompanied receiving a call-up letter has been replaced by uncertainty and fear. Concerns about kidnapping, attacks on highways, and violence in some parts of the country have led many to hope for postings close to home or to pursue redeployment to states they consider safer.
Several prospective corps members said they would prefer to serve in states near their families rather than travel to unfamiliar regions. Some explained that their parents have expressed strong reservations about long-distance travel because of the country’s security challenges. Others admitted they would rather delay participation in the scheme than accept deployment to locations they believe pose significant risks.
One graduate who chose not to participate in the NYSC programme said the decision was driven by concerns about personal safety. According to him, national service should not require young Nigerians to expose themselves to avoidable dangers, especially when security cannot be guaranteed.
Parents also voiced growing anxiety, saying the joy of seeing their children graduate is increasingly overshadowed by fears about where they will be posted. Many said their priority is ensuring their children return home safely after completing the service year.
The debate has been intensified by reports over the years of corps members being kidnapped, attacked, injured, or killed while travelling to orientation camps or during their service. Such incidents have contributed to a growing perception that participation in the scheme now carries greater security risks than in previous decades.
Although the NYSC was established in 1973 to promote national reconciliation and strengthen unity after the Nigerian Civil War by exposing graduates to different cultures and communities, worsening insecurity has prompted renewed discussions about whether the programme should be reformed.
Some security analysts argue that corps members should serve within their states or geopolitical zones until the country’s security situation improves. Others believe the scheme should continue but with stronger security measures, better deployment policies, and the exclusion of high-risk locations from postings.
Mental health experts also note that persistent insecurity can heighten anxiety and emotional stress among prospective corps members and their families. However, they maintain that the objectives of national integration remain important if participants can be adequately protected.
As concerns continue to grow, many stakeholders agree that restoring confidence in the NYSC will depend largely on the government’s ability to improve security and ensure that graduates can complete their service without fear for their lives.
