President Bola Tinubu has said the newly approved reforms of the National Youth Service Corps are designed to prepare young Nigerians for work, enterprise, leadership and national service.
Tinubu said the reforms, approved by the Federal Executive Council on Monday, represent one of the most significant changes to the NYSC scheme since it was established in 1973.
In a statement posted on his X handle on Wednesday, the President said the decision was in line with his promise to create meaningful opportunities for young Nigerians.
“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,” he said.
Tinubu noted that while the NYSC had played an important role in promoting national unity for more than five decades, Nigeria’s present realities require the scheme to do more.
“For 53 years, the NYSC has served the cause of national unity. That mission remains important and must be preserved. But the Nigeria of today demands more.
“Our young people are nearly 70 per cent of our population. They are not a burden to be managed. They are the engine,” the President said.
Under the new reform plan, the NYSC orientation programme will now run for six weeks. It will focus on civic responsibility, leadership, values, career readiness, entrepreneurship, digital literacy and financial literacy.
The President said corps members will also receive specialised training based on their academic background and career interests.
According to him, the training will cover key sectors such as agriculture, health, education, technology, law, public service, infrastructure, the green economy, enterprise, the creative economy, and para-military and security services.
“Every corps member must leave NYSC better prepared for work, enterprise and national service,” Tinubu said.
He also disclosed that the reforms will make the scheme safer through risk-based deployment, especially in states facing security challenges.
Tinubu said deployment to such areas will prioritise indigenes, residents, graduates of institutions in the affected states, and those from neighbouring states within the same geopolitical zone.
The President added that the NYSC call-up process will become technology-driven, while primary assignments will be better matched with each corps member’s skills, academic background and career path.
On governance, Tinubu said the NYSC will now be led by a civilian Director-General, supported by three Executive Directors.
He said one of the Executive Directors will be in charge of Security Services and will be drawn from the military or paramilitary services.
The President also announced that orientation camps will be assessed under a national grading and certification framework, while states will be required to meet minimum operational standards.
He said the Passing-Out Parade will now be known as a Graduation Ceremony, reflecting the new direction of the scheme.
“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,” he said.
Tinubu 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 roles in developing the reforms.
He also directed the Federal Ministry of Youth Development and the Federal Ministry of Justice to begin the process of amending the NYSC Act and its subsidiary regulations to provide legal backing for the reforms.
“To every young Nigerian: this nation believes in you. We are building a country worthy of your talent, your ambition and your future,” Tinubu said.