President Bola Tinubu has justified his administration’s comprehensive restructuring of the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC), describing the reforms as a strategic effort to equip young Nigerians with practical skills, improve their employability and empower them to contribute meaningfully to national development.
In a message shared on his official X account on Wednesday, the President said the reforms approved by the Federal Executive Council on Monday represent the most far-reaching changes introduced to the NYSC since its establishment in 1973.
Tinubu explained that the initiative fulfils one of the commitments he made upon assuming office to expand opportunities for Nigerian youths and ensure they occupy a central place in his administration’s development agenda.
“On Monday, at the Federal Executive Council, our administration approved the most consequential reforms of the National Youth Service Corps Scheme since its establishment in 1973,” he said.
“On the day I was sworn in as your President, 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.”
The President acknowledged the historical role of the NYSC in promoting national unity but stressed that changing national realities now require the scheme to assume broader developmental responsibilities.
“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.
“We are repositioning the NYSC from a mobilisation scheme into a national development platform for skills, employability, productivity and enterprise.”
Under the new framework, the orientation programme will be extended to six weeks and divided into phases covering civic responsibility, leadership, national values and personal development before progressing to entrepreneurship, career readiness, digital literacy, financial education and specialised professional training.
The President disclosed that corps members would be assigned to specialised career streams based on their academic qualifications, career aspirations and skill profiles.
The streams include agriculture, education, healthcare, technology and digital services, legal services, public administration, infrastructure, green economy, enterprise, creative industries, as well as para-military and security services.
Tinubu also highlighted new security measures designed to improve the safety of corps members during deployment.
According to him, postings to states facing security challenges will now be determined through risk assessments, with priority given to indigenes, residents, graduates of institutions located within those states and candidates from neighbouring states in the same geopolitical zone.
“Deployment to security-challenged states will be guided by risk assessment. It will prioritise indigenes, residents, graduates of institutions in those states and those from neighbouring states within the same geopolitical zones,” he said.
“The call-up process will become technology-driven and primary assignments will be better aligned with each corps member’s skills, academic background and career stream.”
The President further announced that the NYSC will now be led by a civilian Director-General, supported by three Executive Directors, one of whom will come from the military or paramilitary services and oversee security matters.
He added that orientation camps across the country would be evaluated under a national grading and certification framework, while the long-standing Passing-Out Parade would be replaced with a formal Graduation Ceremony to reflect the scheme’s expanded objectives.
Tinubu disclosed that he had directed the Federal Ministry of Youth Development and the Federal Ministry of Justice to commence the process of amending the NYSC Act and other relevant regulations to provide the necessary legal backing for the reforms.
The President also acknowledged the contributions of the Minister of Youth Development, Ayodele Olawande, his Special Adviser on Policy and Coordination, Hadiza Bala Usman, the Federal Ministry of Education and members of the reform committee for their roles in developing the new framework.
In his closing remarks, Tinubu reassured Nigerian youths of his administration’s commitment to their future.
“This nation believes in you. We are building a country worthy of your talent, your ambition and your future.”
