On May 22, the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) will mark its 50 years of existence.The scheme was established on May 22, 1973 primarily to foster unity among Nigerians following the devastating impact of the 1967-1970 civil war on the country.

By its design, the scheme was also introduced to prepare fresh graduates for life after school by equipping them with entrepreneurial skills to become self-employed and contribute to the accelerated growth of the national economy.

In recent years, however, the scheme has come under intense scrutiny, with many questioning its relevance. While some argue that the scheme is no longer relevant and should be scrapped, others contend that it should be sustained.

In this edition of CrispNG Parliament, we guage the opinions of Nigerians and the arguments surrounding the scheme ahead of its 50th anniversary.

Here is what those sampled had to say:

Otti Augusta

I think that the NYSC scheme is both helpful and worthwhile. It’s important for the nation being that the goal of NYSC is to integrate nation, to promote unity among the different parts of the nation in that we are diverse people bound together by circumstances and now have to become one and I feel that it’s fulfilling that role for which it was originally slated for.

It should be sustained and improved. It should get better with years and not worse, because people get the opportunity to experience and explore other parts of the country, which is a beautiful way of uniting the nation, so, in that aspect I feel it should be sustained.

Otti Augusta

I think that the NYSC scheme is both helpful and worthwhile. It’s important for the nation being that the goal of NYSC is to integrate nation, to promote unity among the different parts of the nation in that we are diverse people bound together by circumstances and now have to become one and I feel that it’s fulfilling that role for which it was originally slated for.

It should be sustained and improved. It should get better with years and not worse, because people get the opportunity to experience and explore other parts of the country, which is a beautiful way of uniting the nation, so, in that aspect I feel it should be sustained.

I was looking forward to experiencing something new and NYSC did that for me, as I was posted to Bayelsa. I met a new people, culture and language and I had to start learning some things that I was not used to. it was beautiful and I will just summarize my experience to be majorly good, the best part being that I met amazing people who have turned to family for life.

I’ve had the opportunity to be in leadership positions through the NYSC period. I learnt a lot having served as the vice president of my CDS group, as well as serving in Nigerian Christian Corpers Fellowship (NCCF); the religious body which I affiliated myself with and it was just a wonderful experience for me seeing young people coming together to do things by themselves. We had to figure how to live, how we were going to survive, and that’s the point of it.

Read the full comments here: https://www.crispng.com/nysc-50-should-scheme-be-scrapped-or-sustained/

NYSC SCHEME has killed more humans than Lions and other wild animals combined 😁

Scrap it or modify it to help at least 50% gain employment after service year.