African Action Congress presidential candidate Omoyele Sowore has called for the immediate suspension and eventual scrapping of the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC), following the abduction of prospective corps members travelling to orientation camps in Imo State.
Sowore said the October 1 abduction along the Owerri–Onitsha Road highlighted what he described as the dangers of compelling young Nigerians to travel long distances for national service. Police say 20 people were abducted and have intensified efforts to rescue them.
He proposed allowing corps members to serve within their states of origin while calling for the NYSC scheme to be suspended before being scrapped. Sowore said young Nigerians should not be required to travel into areas they consider unsafe to fulfil a compulsory service requirement.
Under his proposed “Sowore 2027” programme, he said the NYSC would be replaced with a two-year voluntary National Job Corps focused on employment, skills development, public works, technology, agriculture, healthcare and education.