Unpopular opinion: scrapping military drills from NYSC would be a mistake.

Nigeria has over 240 million people, yet our Armed Forces are estimated to have only about 230,000 active personnel.
with the security challenges we face, shouldn’t we be asking how to prepare our youth?
not how to reduce the little exposure they already get?
The military sessions at NYSC don’t make anyone a soldier. They teach discipline, teamwork, leadership, resilience, physical fitness, and how to remain calm under pressure. Those are life skills every graduate should have.
Instead of removing them, let’s improve them.
Introduce practical training in:
• First aid & emergency response
• Disaster management
• Civil defence awareness
• Leadership
• Basic cybersecurity
• National crisis preparedness
countries like South Korea require most able-bodied men to complete 18–21 months of military service because they see national preparedness as a strategic priority.
Nigeria doesn’t need to copy that model, but we can learn from its emphasis on readiness and civic responsibility.
A nation of over 240 million people should be investing more in preparing its citizens. not less.
The goal isn’t to militarize Nigerians.
The goal is to build disciplined, capable citizens who can respond in times of crisis and inspire more young people to voluntarily serve in the Armed Forces.
#Nigeria #NYSC