,President Bola Tinubu has described the new reforms of the National Youth Service Corps, NYSC, as the “most consequential reforms of the scheme since its establishment in 1973,” saying they will reposition it as “a national development platform for skills, employability, productivity and enterprise.”
In a post on his verified X handle @officialABAT on Wednesday, Tinubu said the overhaul approved at Monday’s Federal Executive Council, FEC, meeting fulfils a promise he made at his inauguration.
“I promised to create meaningful opportunities for our young people. I said women and youth would feature prominently in our administration, and this reform is partly the actualisation of that promise,” he said.
“For 53 years, the NYSC has served the cause of national unity. That mission remains important and must be preserved,” he said. “But the Nigeria of today demands more.”
He added: “Our young people are nearly 70 per cent of our population. They are not a burden to be managed… They are the engine of the one trillion dollar economy we are building and the hope of this nation.”
Key changes announced:
1. Extended orientation
The programme will run for six weeks, starting with civic responsibility, leadership and personal development, then career readiness, entrepreneurship, digital and financial skills, and ending with specialised training aligned to each corps member’s academic background and career path.
2. New career streams
Training will cover agriculture, health, education, technology, law, public service, infrastructure, green economy, enterprise, creative economy, and paramilitary/security service.
3. Safer deployment
Postings to security-challenged states will be risk-based, prioritising indigenes, residents, graduates of institutions in those states, and candidates from neighbouring states in the same zone. Call-up will be technology-driven, and primary assignments will match skills and career streams.
4. New governance structure
The NYSC will be led by a civilian Director-General, supported by three Executive Directors, including a Security Services Executive Director from the military or paramilitary. Orientation camps will be graded and certified, with states required to meet minimum standards.
5. Rebranded exit
The Passing Out Parade will become a “Graduation Ceremony” to reflect that corps members will “graduate as trained civic and professional contributors to national development.”
“Every corps member must leave NYSC better prepared for work, enterprise and national service,” Tinubu said.
Tinubu Unveils ‘Most Consequential’ NYSC Reforms Since 1973
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