Rejecting NYSC members must end, the House of Representatives says, directing government agencies to accept and engage corps members

The House of Representatives has directed Ministries, Departments and Agencies of government to immediately end the practice of rejecting National Youth Service Corps members posted to them for the mandatory one-year national service programme.

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The resolution was adopted during plenary on Thursday following a motion sponsored by Mr Rodney Ambaiowei, the lawmaker representing Southern Ijaw Federal Constituency of Bayelsa State.

Lawmakers warned that the growing trend of rejecting NYSC members is undermining the objectives of one of Nigeria’s longest-running nation-building initiatives and limiting opportunities for young graduates to gain practical work experience.

Moving the motion titled, “Need to stop the constant rejection of National Youth Service Corps members by government offices in Nigeria,” Ambaiowei recalled that the NYSC scheme was established in 1973 by the administration of Yakubu Gowon to promote national unity, reconciliation and reconstruction after the Nigerian civil war.

The lawmaker noted that the programme was designed to deploy graduates outside their states of origin to encourage cultural interaction, national integration and community development.

According to him, the scheme has over the years contributed to improved service delivery, strengthened social ties across regions and created economic opportunities for participants who chose to settle and build careers in their host communities.

Ambaiowei, however, expressed concern that government institutions increasingly reject corps members posted to them, frustrating the purpose of the programme and denying graduates valuable workplace experience.

“The scheme, which is designed to provide a willing workforce to the public and private sectors, is currently facing setbacks as government establishments are rejecting NYSC corps members, denying them service opportunities and experience,” he said.

He argued that the practice leaves many graduates vulnerable to exploitation and wastes the workforce potential the programme was intended to provide.

The lawmaker further stated that rejecting NYSC members also amounts to inefficient use of public resources because the Federal Government continues to pay monthly allowances to corps members regardless of whether they are effectively engaged.

“The House is disturbed that the rejected corps members waste public funds since the government still pays stipends for no economic contribution.

Without a clear engagement plan, the NYSC scheme loses value and discourages future graduates from participating,” he added.

Following a voice vote presided over by Speaker Tajudeen Abbas, the House unanimously adopted the motion.

As part of its resolution, the House directed all MDAs, including the National Assembly, to stop rejecting NYSC members posted to them and to create structured work schedules that ensure meaningful participation in workplace activities.

Lawmakers specifically instructed government institutions to develop frameworks that would accommodate corps members and integrate them into productive economic activities during their service year.

The House also mandated the House Committee on Youth Development to engage with the Director-General of the NYSC and develop a comprehensive strategy for the deployment, engagement and effective utilisation of corps members across public institutions.

The resolution comes amid increasing complaints by corps members over poor placement, underutilisation and outright rejection by some government agencies due to staffing limitations, inadequate office space and the absence of structured engagement programmes.

Many affected corps members are often forced to seek alternative places of primary assignment, while others spend much of their service year without meaningful responsibilities.

The House intervention is expected to reignite discussions on reforms aimed at making the NYSC scheme more relevant to current economic realities, particularly in the areas of youth employment, skills development and national productivity.

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For many stakeholders, ensuring that government agencies stop Rejecting NYSC Members remains essential to preserving the programme’s founding objectives of national integration, workforce development and civic engagement among young Nigerians.