AN APPRAISAL OF THE NATIONAL YOUTH SERVICE CORPS MEMBERS COLLABORATION IN THE 2011 AND 2015 ELECTIONS PROCESS

Abstract

National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) was established in 1973 with the core mandate of promoting national integration, development as well as inculcate the spirit of patriotism acquired through selfless service. These are needed to build the capacity of Nigerian graduate youth. The participation of corps members in national elections is the outcome of the collaboration between INEC and NYSC formalized through a Memorandum of Understanding. The relative credibility of elections since then is ascribed to the involvement and outstanding performance of Corps members. The objectives of this paper are to examine the impact of the Corps members’ involvement in the conduct of elections and the electoral system in general, assess the level of compliance to the content of the M.O.U as well as the impact on the capacity building mechanism of main streaming the youths into constructive political engagement. This paper presents an analysis of the paradigm shift in youth’s engagement in sensitive national assignment such as conduct of elections. The relative credibility of the 2011 and 2015 elections were both locally and internationally ascribed to the involvement of Corps members in the electoral process. This paper presents the level of professionalism and neutrality displayed by the Corps members during the elections in view of the internal disciplinary mechanism of the NYSC operations. “Traditional Theory of Youth†was reviewed to put to in proper perspective the concept of youth engagement in sensitive national assignment. Primary and secondary sources of information are vital tools of the study.