Abdulsalam Wasiu, the former Chairman of National Association Of Nigerian Students (NANS) Kwara axis has called for the modification of the compulsory one year service program for Nigerian graduates, Nigeria Youth Service Corps (NYSC)

The former Nans Chairman made the call on Saturday while reacting to the bill proposed by Member Representing Andoni-Opobo/Nkoro Federal Constituency, Hon Awaji-Inomnek Abiante on the need to scrap the program set up for Nigerians graduates.

Comrade Abdulsalam emphasised that scrapping the program will heightens the rate of unemployment as well as proliferating the rate of crimes In the country because according to him, the program affords many young graduates the opportunity to gather the little proceeds (Alawê) from the federal government to their own advantage. He said

"A lot of Nigerians have been advocating for the scrap of the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) programme for some time now, while some are calling for its modification. However, the time to take a more drastic approach to the whole drama and take the bull by the horn has arrived"

"Interestingly, two weeks ago, Hon. Awaji-Inombek Abiante, who represents Andoni-Opobo/Nkoro Federal Constituency of Rivers State at the National Assembly, Abuja, introduced a bill to scrap the National Youth Service Corps, which started on May 22, 1973, during the military regime of General Yakubu Gowon under Decree No. 24 of 1973."

"NYSC, which was proposed to be scrapped, was purposely introduced as part of strategies to foster unity in the post-civil war era. Other objectives include: to enable Nigerian youths acquire the spirit of self-reliance by encouraging them to develop skills for self employment, to contribute to the accelerated growth of the national economy, to develop common ties among the Nigerian youths and promote national integration, among others. Sadly, the programme has lost the main essence of its establishment. Therefore, a stronger view believes that it should either be scrapped or modified."

"While young people all over the world are fully engaged in the economy, agriculture, fintech, e-commerce, tech and other sectors, young Nigerians are compelled to waste a year after graduation."

"Taking a critical look in the aspect of unity as one of its core objectives, tribalism is still one of the major travails in Nigeria. Igbos are calling for Biafra; Yoruba youth are in a haste to have Oduduwa Nation; in the North, people are being killed like festive chickens, and people can no longer travel, in peace, by road again. So where is the unity?

"Looking beyond the security and unemployment reasons presented by Hon. Awaji-Inombek Abiante, the scheme is inconsequential in this modern age. It is a time-wasting endeavour made compulsory for graduates by a country that has failed to invest in its youth and has not given them a hope for the future."

"We live in an era where young people in their teens are doing amazing things because the country they live in has given them all it takes to succeed. They are not restricted because of their age rather they are encouraged to fly high as they can because of their youth. If anything is to hold you back in these countries it is because of the quality of your idea and work ethic.*

*Scrapping NYSC will not solve the problem(s) of unemployment rather add to it, because as worse as we perceive the scheme at this present time, it still favour some youth - in terms of work experience and automatic employment - in the world of work."

"Conversely, modifying the scheme to focusing on psychomotor domain where graduates will be posted to vocational or skill acquisition centres, will be better and reduce a lot of deviances in the country."

"The rate of prevailing unemployment of graduates after higher institutions in the country is alarming, yet each year, all the higher institutions in the country keep on churning out graduates in thousands into the labour market for jobs that are non-existent."

"The need for entrepreneurial development as a way of equipping the graduates with necessary skills that will enable them start up something on their own will be a better modification of NYSC."

"Federal government can establish a modern entreprenurship hub/vocational or skill acquisition centres across the 6 geopolitical zones of the country, post graduates to the zones that fall within the range of their states, then motivate them to learn skills of their choices. They should be empowered, with necessary resources, after the one year entreprenurship training. The knowledge they have acquired during the course of the training will, no doubt, boost the economy of the country and reduce the rate of unemployment."

"Also, it will reduce the rate of atrocities in the country. Youth dominates the larger percentage of bandits, kidnappers, robbers, cyber fraudsters, among other deviants. One of the prominent causes of these deviances is unemployment and not engaging in something legal that can bring food on their tables."

"Too much dependence on white collar jobs is failing. As such, the Government should direct the attention of graduates to modern skill acquisitions."