The Director-General of the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC), Brigadier General Olakunle Nafiu says the scheme is set to mobilise about 450,000 Corps members in 2026 as part of efforts to strengthen Nigeria’s workforce and tackle unemployment.
Nafiu disclosed this shortly after addressing the 2026 Batch A Stream II Corps members deployed to Kaduna State at the temporary Orientation camp, Government College, Kurmi Marshi, Kaduna.
He noted that the annual mobilisation of hundreds of thousands of graduates showed the NYSC’s growing role in supplying manpower to the nation’s economy.
“As a matter of fact, this year the government approved for us to mobilise 450,000 corps members.
“Year by year, the NYSC continues to turn out more workforce for the Nigerian system from about 420 corps producing institutions,” he said.
The NYSC boss emphasised that the scheme is not only focused on deploying graduates into the labour market, but also on equipping them with practical skills to navigate employment challenges.
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“We are not just sending them out to look for jobs; we are preparing them to take up the challenges of the labour market.
“For those who may not readily get employed, we are encouraging them to become employers of labour,” Nafiu said.
Nafiu stressed that addressing unemployment in Nigeria requires a collaborative effort between the government and the private sector, noting that the latter plays a dominant role in job creation globally.
“It is not the responsibility of government alone to provide jobs. The private sector, in every major economy, employs more people than the government,” he said.
Nafiu urged Corps members to take advantage of the NYSC Skills Acquisition and Entrepreneurship Development (SAED) programme introduced during orientation and sustained after camp.
“I have charged the corps members not to depend solely on government jobs after service, but to start small, build on their successes, and create opportunities for others,” he said.
According to him, the initiative is expected to further reduce unemployment and enhance self-reliance among Nigerian graduates
He used the opportunity to thank the administration of Governor Uba Sani for the renovation of the camp facilities, just as he urged the state re-introduce the monthly stipend for corps members.
Nafiu assured Corps members of their safety saying, “NYSC would not post anyone to volatile areas.”
