A member of the House of Representatives, Philip Agbese, has called on President Bola Tinubu to suspend the implementation of the recently unveiled reforms to the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC), warning that some of the proposed changes could weaken the scheme’s role in promoting national unity and national service.

Agbese, who represents Ado/Okpokwu/Ogbadibo Federal Constituency of Benue State and serves on the House Committees on Youth and Defence, made the appeal in a statement issued in Abuja on Sunday.

The lawmaker urged the President to establish a broader review committee made up of security experts, lawmakers, former NYSC officials, youth representatives and other critical stakeholders to reassess the reforms before they are rolled out.

While acknowledging the need to modernise the scheme, Agbese cautioned against reforms that could dilute the core objectives upon which the NYSC was founded following the Nigerian Civil War.

“The NYSC remains one of Nigeria’s most important institutions for fostering national unity and integration. Any restructuring must preserve its founding ideals and national significance,” he said.

His remarks come on the heels of the Federal Government’s announcement of what the Minister of Youth Development, Ayodele Olawande, described as the most comprehensive review of the NYSC since its establishment in 1973.

The proposed reforms include restructuring the orientation camp programme into three phases, introducing 11 specialised career streams for corps members, expanding skills acquisition initiatives, replacing the traditional khaki uniform with locally produced attire, and appointing a civilian Director-General to lead the scheme instead of the current military leadership structure.

The reforms have sparked debate across the country, with supporters hailing them as long-overdue measures to align the scheme with modern realities, while critics argue they could undermine the NYSC’s original mission.

Agbese expressed particular concern over efforts to shift the focus of the scheme toward skills acquisition, arguing that such a move could reduce its broader national value.

“Reducing the NYSC to a skill acquisition training centre is not healthy for our national life,” he stated.

According to him, the scheme has evolved beyond youth development to become a strategic national institution, contributing significantly to education, healthcare delivery, election support services and emergency response efforts across Nigeria.

The Benue lawmaker also rejected the proposal to place the NYSC under civilian leadership, insisting that the programme’s military-style orientation has played a vital role in instilling discipline, patriotism and a sense of national responsibility among young Nigerians.

“Instilling military training in citizens is an international practice that must be sustained,” he added.

Established on May 22, 1973, by the administration of former Head of State Yakubu Gowon, the NYSC was designed as a post-war reconciliation initiative aimed at promoting national integration, cultural exchange and unity by deploying graduates to states outside their regions of origin.

Over the past five decades, corps members have contributed to key sectors of national development, including education, healthcare, electoral processes and community development projects.

With the proposed changes considered the most sweeping in the history of the scheme, calls for wider consultation are expected to intensify as discussions over the future of the NYSC continue.