The Director-General of the National Youth Service Corps, Brig. Gen Shuaibu Ibrahim, has said corps members are part of the national defence policy of Nigeria and can be mobilised for war if need be.
Ibrahim said this while reacting to moves to scrap the NYSC scheme which is compulsory for all Nigerians who graduate before the age of 30.
According to Ibrahim:
“Corps members are on reserve. They are part of the national defence policy of this country. So, where there is serious war, our corps members are educated, they are knowledgeable and they can be trained. You see the drill and so on.
You can imagine within the short three weeks in the orientation camps, the corps members are moulded. They are like soldiers. You see female corps members blowing the army horn, playing with the military band.”