Parents under the umbrella of the Parent-Teacher Association of Nigeria have renewed calls for the Federal Government to either suspend or scrap the National Youth Service Corps if it cannot guarantee the safety of corps members across the country.
The demand followed fresh concerns over the continued deployment of young graduates to states facing insecurity, including areas troubled by bandit attacks, kidnappings and other violent crimes. PTA National President, Haruna Danjuma, said the safety of corps members must come before any posting decision, warning that families should not be forced to send their children into environments where their lives cannot be assured.
The latest position echoes an earlier appeal by the group in June 2025, when it asked the Federal Government to stop posting corps members to insecure states. At the time, the association described such deployments as dangerous and insensitive, especially in places already grappling with insurgency and banditry.
The renewed pressure reflects a broader national debate over the future of the NYSC scheme as security risks continue to shape public opinion. In January 2026, the Student Christian Movement of Nigeria also warned against posting young graduates to unsafe areas and urged the government to place the protection of youth above administrative routine.
NYSC, for its part, has continued to stress that corps members’ welfare and safety remain a priority. Official scheme publications say the organisation works with relevant agencies on corps member welfare and security, while also maintaining a Distress Call Centre for emergency situations.
The scheme has also recently issued travel safety guidance to prospective corps members. In January 2026, NYSC advised Batch A Stream I members to travel only during the daytime and avoid night journeys because of security and road safety risks.
That advisory, however, has done little to quiet critics who argue that the deeper problem is not travel arrangements but the wider security environment in which corps members are expected to serve. For many parents and civil society voices, the question is no longer whether NYSC should improve safety measures, but whether compulsory national service can still be justified when security threats remain widespread.
The NYSC was established in 1973 to promote national unity and integration after the civil war. Over the years, it has remained one of Nigeria’s most visible national programmes. But repeated security concerns have kept the scheme under scrutiny, with critics insisting that its original ideals must now be weighed against present-day realities.
