A legal practitioner, rights advocate and public policy analyst, Liborous Oshoma Esq., has said the Federal Government cannot lawfully implement the proposed reforms to the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) without first amending the law establishing the scheme and securing the approval of the National Assembly.
Following June 30 Federal Executive Council (FEC) meeting, President Bola Tinubu approved the most comprehensive reform of the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) since the scheme was established 53 years ago.
Among the approved changes is the extension of the orientation course from three weeks to six weeks, with the programme divided into three two-week phases focusing on leadership development, career readiness and specialised training.
The reforms also introduce 11 specialised service streams designed to equip corps members with practical skills aligned with their academic disciplines and career aspirations.
However, speaking on Monday during an exclusive interview on Frontline, a current affairs programme on Eagle 102.5 FM, Ilese-Ijebu, Ogun State, Oshoma said while reforms to the NYSC are necessary, any changes affecting the structure and operation of the scheme must follow constitutional and legislative procedures because the NYSC was created by an Act of the National Assembly.
“First and foremost, the NYSC is a creation of law. Certainly, if you want to reform, the reform should also take the position of a law amendment”
He stressed that the government’s authority to reform the scheme is not in dispute but insisted that such reforms cannot be introduced unilaterally where they alter provisions already contained in the law.
Addressing the legal process, Oshoma stated unequivocally that executive action alone would not be sufficient to alter the NYSC’s statutory framework.
He said, “Certainly the federal government cannot introduce reforms to the NYSC unilaterally without amending the act.”
According to him, the NYSC remains a creation of the National Youth Service Corps Act, meaning any significant institutional changes must receive legislative backing.
He further explained that while administrative adjustments that do not conflict with the law may be possible, provisions expressly contained in the Act cannot simply be altered through executive directives.
Using the appointment of the Director-General as an example, he noted that if the law stipulates that the office must be occupied by a serving military officer, government cannot appoint someone outside that requirement without first amending the legislation.
“For example, if the act says there shall be a director general who shall be, you know, a serving military officer at the orientation, you can not appoint a lawyer or a politician to that body without amending that provision in the act, so certainly you must amend the act to bring about the robust meaningful reforms.”
Oshoma further explained that before any amendment is presented to the National Assembly, government should first carry out extensive consultations with stakeholders to build consensus and improve public understanding of the proposed changes.
“So first and foremost, you can’t just bring those reforms without amending the act, but I think that the first thing is, before you bring the reforms and amendments, you first and foremost have to do what we call collaborative stakeholders discussions, so I want to believe that these stakeholders discussions are taking place and then maybe at the end of the day, the reforms would also take the shape of an amendment,” he said.
The legal practitioner also called for broader stakeholder engagement before the reform process advances further, saying consultations should extend beyond government officials to universities, corps members and young Nigerians who are directly affected by the scheme.
“Yes, I agree that the National Assembly should begin at this stage, begin to indirectly have robust discussions at their constituency levels to also sound out, you know, the participants. Take also universities’ direction, you know, from this level.How do people in the university, majority of them who are in the university, what’s their perception? And then, those who are in Camp, what’s their perception? What can be done?Because you can’t create something for young people without having also to pin their mind, pin their brain on what do they think about this program. That’s where the discussion needs to start from.” Oshoma stated.
He further criticised the tendency of older political leaders to make decisions for young Nigerians without adequately consulting them, insisting that youth participation should form the foundation of any lasting reform of the NYSC.
“We consistently make mistakes thinking that, oh, yes, the older ones can sit down and legislate for the younger ones without having the input of the younger ones.But we forget that some of these older ones today, nobody legislated for them because they were in government right from when they were young. Some of them became ministers at 26. Some of them became governors at 30.Some of them became head of state at 40. So today, they are in their 60s, 70s, and they tell you, no, you are still not old enough to decide for yourself. But that does not mean that we do not have young members in the House of Assemblies and the rest.But what I mean is that let’s have more inputs, more interrogation, more interaction from people who are younger”
The legal practitioner also argued that widespread public suspicion surrounding the reforms stems largely from what he described as a trust deficit between government and citizens, noting that many Nigerians now view government initiatives with scepticism regardless of their intentions.
According to him, “The challenge we have most times as a people is because of trust deficit in government, even though we clamor for reforms, the moment government initiate these reforms, because of the lack of trust in government, you know, we all become suspicious, and say oh no, nothing good can come out of them and I think that is the fallout of what is happening to the NYSC proposed reforms, because there are no trust in the process and then we also view it, we begin to view it from the prism of ethnicity, tribalism, religion.”
The legal practitioner maintained that despite the challenges confronting the scheme, the NYSC continues to play a critical role in fostering national integration and creating opportunities for young graduates, insisting that it should be strengthened instead of discarded.
“Let’s see, look, as it is, you know that other countries in Africa came to Nigeria to study NYSC and how we promote NYSC and then also introduced it to create unification. If we are able to go back and tackle insecurity and provide good governance, NYSC is a fantastic program that needs consistent reform”
The public policy analyst also defended the relevance of the NYSC maintaining that many of the criticisms levelled against the NYSC overlook the positive outcomes it has produced over the years, insisting that the programme has opened doors to employment and personal growth for thousands of participants.
“So I think we need to consistently reform it, ensure that there are some people who got jobs through NYSC. There are some people where they are working today, if not for NYSC, they probably wouldn’t have been able to step their foot into those places. They sat there and were retained in those offices. If they did not, they probably wouldn’t get there. So it is not all doom. Yes, there are doom stories, you know. And there are some people who, it was the experience from NYSC that even gave them the inkling of what they are doing today.” Oshoma said.
While acknowledging that no consultation process can satisfy everyone, Oshoma maintained that wider engagement would strengthen public confidence in the eventual outcome.
He added that reforms should be viewed as part of the natural evolution of institutions, provided they comply with existing laws and reflect the aspirations of the people they are intended to serve.
“Look, one thing, life is dynamic. As life changes, you need to reform and change your step to the dynamics of life. So this idea of, oh no, abolish it. Even the people who are saying abolish it, give them opportunity tomorrow, they will tell you it’s the best thing after sliced bread. So, I think we need to consistently reform”
‘FOCUS ON THE ECONOMICS, NOT ETHNICITY’ — OSHOMA DEFENDS NYSC ADIRE UNIFORM REFORM
The legal expert also backed proposals to introduce locally produced fabrics into the NYSC uniform, arguing that the initiative could stimulate Nigeria’s textile industry and create economic opportunities if approached without ethnic or political sentiments.
Recall that the Minister of Youth Development, Ayodele Olawande, announced during a national television interview on July 2 that the Federal Government was considering replacing the NYSC’s traditional khaki uniform with locally made Adire fabric as part of the proposed reforms to the scheme.
However, the minister later clarified that his reference to Adire was merely illustrative and that no particular fabric had been approved to replace the current NYSC uniform stressing that the government had not taken a final decision on any change to the corps members’ official attire.
Oshoma in his argument said public debate over proposals to replace or modify the traditional khaki uniform with indigenous fabrics such as Adire has focused too heavily on ethnicity instead of the potential economic benefits.
Addressing concerns that replacing the NYSC khaki with an indigenous fabric could fuel ethnic tensions and undermine the scheme’s objective of promoting national unity, Oshoma dismissed such fears, arguing that Nigerians should focus on the economic and unifying benefits of locally made textiles rather than their regional origins.
“You see, let me tell you, if we are talking about unity. Then, Nigeria, like you say, is a tripod. Even though that’s a lie, it says three major ethnic groups. But, you know, even among the three major ethnic groups, they are still, you know, ethnic within the ethnics. So, when we’re talking about integration, unity, anything that promotes us as a people should actually unite us. Now, nobody is saying, everybody today now wears Aso oke. A lot of people are wearing Aso oke. Even use it to sew baggy with side pockets. Now, it has become an international brand. Some people quoted it. So, nobody is bothered about about where it’s coming from,” he said.
Emphasizing the need to revive Nigeria’s struggling textile sector, Oshoma said the proposed use of locally produced fabrics should be viewed as an opportunity to strengthen domestic manufacturing and generate employment instead of becoming another subject of ethnic debate.
He noted that government institutions such as the NYSC could play a significant role in boosting demand for locally produced fabrics, arguing that increased patronage would encourage investment in Nigeria’s textile industry and reduce the country’s reliance on imported materials.
“Let’s look at the economics of it and remove the issue of tribalism and culture and sentiments. Let’s look at the economics of it. For me, the economics of it is what will promote us, what will take us to the promised land and take us out of the womb and not where it is coming from” Oshoma said.
Oshoma further questioned why Nigeria continues to rely on imported materials for uniforms supplied to thousands of corps members annually when indigenous alternatives could support local production.
“So, the thing is, should we continue to spend money to import materials that we use, deploy to all our graduates who are complying with the call to duty to serve their country for one year mandatory? Should we continue to spend that money? That is somebody’s business who imports the material”
He argued that if government patronises Nigerian-made textiles on a large scale through institutions like the NYSC, struggling textile manufacturers could benefit from increased demand while more jobs would be created across the production chain.
According to him, locally made fabrics such as Adire, Aso Oke and Isi Agu represent important aspects of Nigeria’s cultural identity and deserve greater commercial patronage questioning why businesses responsible for importing uniform materials had not invested sufficiently in domestic production despite years of benefiting from government patronage.
He said: “since those people have been importing, why haven’t they thought of an opportunity of making these things here? Are those materials made here? No, if we are producing them here massively, then it becomes an opportunity to say, yes, many factories are opening. Adire, is it unique to Nigeria? Yes, it is unique to Nigeria. Is Aso oke unique to Nigeria? Yes, it is unique to Nigeria. Is Isi agu unique to Nigeria? It is unique to Nigeria. But some people will tell you, yes, there are some that are borrowed, that have been adapted to our society and the rest,”
The legal practitioner pointed out that countries such as Ghana have successfully incorporated indigenous fabrics into official attire without generating the level of controversy now surrounding Nigeria’s proposal.
“The same way, nobody is talking about which tribe is making kente in Ghana. We all know that’s a material that comes from Ghana. So, these minor things that we’re allowed to separate us, the Adire….I have children so why can’t we even use the Adire material that we make to make school uniforms for our children, instead of having to import Chinese material, Olandia, and the rest,” he said.
Beyond the economic implications, Oshoma argued that reforms capable of strengthening local industries should also reinforce national unity by encouraging Nigerians to value products made within the country.
