Nigeria’s President, Bola Tinubu has directed the Federal Ministry of Youth Development and the Federal Ministry of Justice to begin the process of amending the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) Act and its subsidiary regulations.
The amendments are part of reforms aimed at transforming the scheme into a platform for national development, skills acquisition and youth empowerment.
The President announced the directive in a statement posted on his official X handle, @OfficialABAT, on Wednesday.
As part of governance reforms, the Nigerian leader said the NYSC would now be headed by a civilian Director-General supported by three Executive Directors, including a Security Services Executive Director drawn from the military or paramilitary.
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According to him, the reforms, approved by the Federal Executive Council (FEC) on Monday, represent the most significant restructuring of the NYSC since its establishment in 1973.
The President highlighted that the administration is repositioning the scheme from a mobilisation programme into a national development platform focused on employability, productivity, entrepreneurship and enterprise.
“To every young Nigerian: this nation believes in you.
“We are building a country worthy of your talent, your ambition and your future,” the President stated.
New Framework
Under the new framework, the NYSC orientation programme will become a six-week training designed to equip corps members with civic responsibility, leadership, entrepreneurship, digital and financial literacy, as well as specialised professional skills aligned with their academic backgrounds and career aspirations.
The specialised streams will cover agriculture, health, education, technology, law, public service, infrastructure, the green economy, enterprise, the creative economy and para-military or security services.
New Security Measures
The President also announced new security measures, saying deployment to security-challenged states would henceforth be guided by risk assessments, with priority given to indigenes, residents, graduates of institutions in affected states and neighbouring states within the same geopolitical zones.
He explained that the call-up process would become technology-driven, while primary assignments would be better matched with corps members’ qualifications, skills and career pathways.
The Nigerian leader further disclosed that orientation camps would be evaluated under a national grading and certification framework, with states required to meet minimum operational standards.
The President also announced that the traditional Passing-Out Parade would be replaced with a Graduation Ceremony to reflect the enhanced training corps members would receive before completing national service.
“The Passing-Out Parade will become a Graduation Ceremony because our corps members will no longer merely complete service. They will graduate as trained civic and professional contributors to national development.
“I commend the Honourable Minister of Youth Development, Ayodele Olawande; my Special Adviser on Policy and Coordination, Hadiza Bala Usman; the Federal Ministry of Education; and the members of the Reform Committee for their work,” he explained.
The Nigerian leader commended 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 contributions to the initiative.
He reaffirmed that while the NYSC’s mission of promoting national unity remains vital, Nigeria’s growing youth population must now be empowered as the driving force behind the country’s aspiration of building a one-trillion-dollar economy.
President Tinubu reiterated his administration’s commitment to creating meaningful opportunities for young Nigerians, describing them as the nation’s greatest asset and the foundation of its future prosperity.
