Original Research

The National Youth Service Corps Programme and Growing Security Threat in Nigeria

Chukwuemeka Okafor, JohnMary K. Ani
Africa’s Public Service Delivery & Performance Review | Vol 2, No 2 | a56 | DOI: https://doi.org/10.4102/apsdpr.v2i2.56 | © 2014 Chukwuemeka Okafor, JohnMary K. Ani | This work is licensed under CC Attribution 4.0
Submitted: 23 November 2016 | Published: 01 June 2014

About the author(s)

Chukwuemeka Okafor, University of Fort Hare, South Africa
JohnMary K. Ani, Federal University, Nigeria

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Abstract

The National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) was established in 1973 after the Nigerian civil war to involve Nigerian university graduates below the age of thirty in nation building. Gradually, the scheme was opened-up for polytechnic graduates.  The article presents the objectives and deployment policy of the programme. It shows that the early phase of the programme recorded the problems of corruption, ghost corps members, accommodation, language barriers as well as hostile culture. However, the contemporary Nigerian society has been overtaken by the destructive wind of insecurity. The article reveals that the various waves of political violence in the country, including Boko Haram terrorism, hostage crises, and geographical threats have turned into a collection of overwhelming menace to the programme, thereby leading to massive agitation for itabrogation. The article recommends for multiple series of reforms in order to protect the lives of many Nigerian graduates that are building the nation through this admirable development programme.

Keywords

Youth Service Corps; National Development; Programme; National Integration; Security; Graduates. Nigeria

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Crossref Citations

1. An evaluation of the three measurable cardinal objectives of the National Youth Service Corps programme: a survey dataset
Valentine J. Owan, Emanuel E. Emanghe, Samuel M. Akpan, David A. Alawa, Victor O. Ebuara, Victor A. Abanyam, Mercy V. Owan, Fidelis A. Unimna, Ikutal Ajigo
F1000Research  vol: 11  first page: 652  year: 2022  
doi: 10.12688/f1000research.122328.2