The Parent-Teacher Association of Nigeria (PTA) has called on the Federal Government to reconsider the deployment of prospective members of the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) to states facing persistent security challenges. The association expressed deep concern over the safety of Nigerian youths posted to volatile regions, especially in light of recent incidents involving corps members who became victims of abductions, attacks, and other security threats.
In a statement issued in Abuja, the National President of the PTA, Alhaji Haruna Danjuma, appealed to the government to prioritise the lives and well-being of young Nigerians by halting NYSC postings to areas plagued by terrorism, banditry, and other forms of armed violence. According to him, while the objectives of national integration and youth service remain important, these goals must not come at the cost of human lives.
Alhaji Danjuma stressed that the growing insecurity in parts of the North-East, North-West, and other flashpoints across the country poses a grave risk to corps members, many of whom are often unfamiliar with the terrain or the realities of the communities to which they are posted. He warned that unless urgent steps are taken to review the current NYSC deployment policy, more families may be forced to endure the trauma of losing their children to avoidable circumstances.
The PTA president also noted that several parents have raised concerns over the safety of their wards and, in many cases, have refused to allow their children to report to postings in high-risk zones. He urged the NYSC leadership to work closely with security agencies and local authorities to properly assess the safety of every state before finalising deployment lists.
The National Youth Service Corps, established in 1973, is a one-year mandatory programme aimed at fostering unity among Nigerian graduates by posting them to states outside their regions of origin. However, in recent years, increasing insecurity in certain parts of the country has reignited debates over whether the scheme should be restructured or suspended in particularly dangerous areas.
While the Federal Government has consistently maintained that adequate measures are in place to protect corps members, reports of kidnappings and attacks have continued to fuel public anxiety. The PTA has therefore joined growing voices urging a comprehensive review of the scheme’s operations in light of the country’s current security realities.
As the next NYSC orientation camp draws closer, stakeholders across the education and security sectors are expected to engage in further dialogue on the matter. For the PTA, the message remains clear: safeguarding the lives of Nigerian youths must take precedence over tradition.
