Kila Faults NYSC Reforms, Proposes Voluntary National Service Scheme

Renowned political economist, jurist and Professor of Strategy and Development, Prof. Anthony Kila, has criticised the Federal Government’s proposed reforms to the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC), describing them as “a wrong step in the right direction” and calling for a complete redesign of the scheme rather than what he considers superficial adjustments.

Kila made his position known in a widely circulated essay titled “NYSC Reforms Are a Wrong Step in the Right Direction,” published across several news platforms.

The Director of the Commonwealth Institute of Advanced and Professional Studies acknowledged that reforming the NYSC is both necessary and overdue, arguing that Nigeria in 2026 bears little resemblance to the country that established the scheme in 1973.

“There is no doubt that reforming the NYSC is the right course of action,” he wrote.

“The tragedy is that what has been presented as reform is, regrettably, a misstep in the right direction.”

According to Kila, the government’s proposals amount to administrative adjustments rather than genuine institutional transformation.

He argued that the reforms focus on procedures while failing to address the fundamental purpose of national service in contemporary Nigeria.

Using a striking metaphor, Kila described the reforms as “the elephant giving birth to a rat”, saying Nigerians had expected a bold reimagining of national service, but were instead presented with modest changes that leave the core challenges unresolved.

He argued that the reform focuses on extending orientation camps and introducing new training components, rather than addressing the more fundamental question of what national service should mean in an era shaped by technology, insecurity, entrepreneurship and changing patterns of work.

The Don also criticised aspects of the reforms that, in his view, treat university graduates as though they require another stage of basic formation after completing higher education.

“Graduates are not clueless street urchins waiting for the government to civilise them,” he argued, insisting that higher education should already have equipped them with intellectual discipline and professional competence.

Kila further identified what he described as one of the most significant unintended consequences of the NYSC scheme: encouraging young Nigerians to manipulate the posting process.

He noted that many graduates begin adult life by searching for influential contacts, seeking preferred postings, or attempting to circumvent established procedures, thereby learning the wrong lessons about citizenship and public institutions.

“Their first lesson in adult civic life is not service,” he wrote.

“It is gaming the system.”As an alternative, Kila proposed replacing compulsory national service with a prestigious voluntary national service programme designed to attract motivated rather than reluctant participants.

Under the Kila proposal, participants would choose postings at least 100 kilometres from their usual place of residence to encourage national integration, while taking account of contemporary security realities.

The programme would emphasise civic education, leadership development, physical fitness, basic military preparedness, emergency response, project management, community development and problem-solving.

He also proposed that participants complete a measurable community development project to ensure the programme has a lasting impact on host communities.

Kila dismissed suggestions that changing the NYSC uniform should form part of the reform agenda, maintaining that national service should be judged by its purpose rather than its appearance.

“There is nothing fundamentally wrong with the khaki,” he wrote.

“Uniforms do not create patriotism. Purpose does.”

The Commonwealth Institute Director further urged the Federal Government to hold wide-ranging consultations with universities, employers, security experts, former corps members, community leaders and young Nigerians before implementing far-reaching reforms.

According to him, meaningful institutional reform should arise from thoughtful engagement with stakeholders rather than from administrative pronouncements.

Drawing on ideas from his recent book, “Crucial Cs around D”, Kila argued that successful reforms require conceptual clarity before administrative action, warning that governments often “improve yesterday’s answers without questioning yesterday’s assumptions”.

He noted that while the government’s recognition of the need to reform the NYSC deserves commendation, the proposals fall short of the transformational redesign required to prepare young Nigerians for the realities of the twenty-first century.

“The direction is right,” he said. “The step is wrong,” concluded the Don.