The resolution was passed on Thursday during plenary after lawmakers adopted a motion sponsored by Rodney Ambaiowei, who represents Southern Ijaw Federal Constituency in Bayelsa State.
Titled "Need to stop the constant rejection of National Youth Service Corps members by government offices in Nigeria," the motion revealed what members described as an increasingly common refusal by public institutions to accept corps members for their mandatory one-year service.
Leading the debate, Ambaiowei reminded the House that the NYSC was established in 1973 by General Yakubu Gowon’s administration to foster reconciliation and national integration after the civil war.
The scheme, he said, was designed to post graduates outside their states of origin so they could interact with citizens from different ethnic, religious and cultural backgrounds.
Over the decades it has become a platform for community development, cross-cultural exchange and public service, while also creating business opportunities and long-lasting social ties.
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The lawmaker bemoaned that the scheme’s purpose is being eroded as government agencies increasingly reject corps members posted to them, often citing staffing constraints, lack of office space or the absence of structured programmes.
He argued that the rejections deny graduates practical experience and leave them vulnerable to exploitation, while also wasting public funds since the Federal Government continues to pay monthly allowances even when corps members are not meaningfully engaged.
The House said it was disturbed that such rejections waste public resources and weaken the scheme’s value, discouraging future graduates from participating.
Lawmakers agreed that proper deployment and utilisation of corps members in government offices would provide valuable experience, prepare young Nigerians for careers in both public and private sectors, and boost national productivity.
After overwhelming support through a voice vote presided over by Speaker Tajudeen Abbas, the House mandated all MDAs, including the National Assembly, to end the practice of rejecting corps members and to develop work schedules that integrate them into the economic value chain.
The House Committee on Youth Development was also tasked with working alongside the NYSC Director-General to create a comprehensive framework for deployment and effective utilisation of corps members across government institutions.
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