24th August, 2023
By Victoria Oluwayemi
Renowned actress Kate Henshaw has called for the scrapping of the one-year National Youth Service programme for graduates of tertiary schools.
Henshaw particularly questions the relevance of the NYSC programme in its present form.
Initially conceived in 1973 to foster unity, cultural exchange, and national integration among Nigeria’s youth, the programme’s goals have been overshadowed by mounting security challenges faced by corps members in various regions of the country.
Drawing from her personal experience during her own service in the North, Henshaw contrasts a past where travel was safe with the contemporary backdrop of security threats and incidents involving corps members.
Her concern is evident as she questions the a
dequacy of existing security measures and their ability to safeguard the lives of young participants throughout their service year.
In a message shared on her Twitter account, Henshaw stated:
“When I served in the North, it was a very memorable experience. Travelling from Bauchi by road to the airport was safe & then flying to Lagos just with my NYSC ID card, which also got me rebate on my ticket.
“It’s time to SCRAP this idea since corpers can’t travel within this country without LET OR HINDRANCE! Stop putting the lives of young people at risk with moribund ideas. Security is a priority & needs to be sorted totally, not technically.”