President Bola Tinubu has defended his administration’s sweeping reforms of the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC), saying the changes are designed to prepare young Nigerians for employment, entrepreneurship and greater national service.
The President said the reforms, approved by the Federal Executive Council (FEC) on Monday, represent the biggest overhaul of the NYSC scheme since it was established in 1973. According to him, the initiative is aimed at equipping corps members with practical skills that will enable them to contribute more effectively to Nigeria’s development after their service year.
Tinubu made the remarks in a statement posted on his official X account on Wednesday, where he said the reforms fulfil a key promise he made to Nigerian youths at the start of his administration.
He recalled that during his inauguration in May 2023, he pledged to create opportunities for young Nigerians and ensure that youths and women occupied a central place in his government’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,” the President 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 that the NYSC had played a major role in promoting national unity over the past five decades by posting graduates to states outside their places of origin.
He, however, said the country’s social and economic realities have changed significantly since the scheme was introduced more than 50 years ago, making it necessary to modernise the programme.
“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,” Tinubu said.
Under the approved reforms, the NYSC orientation programme will be extended from its current three-week duration to six weeks.
The President explained that the additional period would allow corps members to receive more practical training in areas that would improve their chances of finding jobs or starting businesses after completing national service.
According to him, the revised orientation programme will place greater emphasis on civic responsibility, leadership development, national values, career readiness, entrepreneurship, digital literacy and financial literacy.
Corps members will also receive specialised training based on their academic qualifications, professional interests and career aspirations.
Tinubu said the government intends to produce graduates who are better prepared for the labour market and capable of contributing meaningfully to national growth.
He disclosed that the training would cover strategic sectors of the economy, including agriculture, healthcare, education, technology, law, public administration, infrastructure, the green economy, enterprise development, the creative economy as well as para-military and security services.
“Every corps member must leave NYSC better prepared for work, enterprise and national service,” he stated.
The reforms also seek to improve the safety of corps members, particularly those posted to states facing security challenges.
Over the years, concerns have been raised about the safety of corps members following incidents of attacks, kidnappings and violent conflicts in some parts of the country.
To address these concerns, Tinubu said the government has introduced a risk-based deployment system that will take security realities into account.
Under the new arrangement, corps members will, where necessary, be posted closer to their home states or familiar environments.
The President explained that priority would be given to indigenes, residents, graduates of institutions located in affected states and those from neighbouring states within the same geopolitical zone.
He said this approach would reduce security risks while ensuring that the objectives of the NYSC scheme are not undermined.
Tinubu also announced that the mobilisation and call-up process would become fully technology-driven to improve efficiency, transparency and accountability.
He added that primary assignments would no longer be done randomly but would instead be aligned with each corps member’s academic background, professional skills and chosen career path.
According to him, the changes will ensure that graduates are deployed to organisations where they can make meaningful contributions while gaining relevant work experience.
The President also unveiled major governance reforms for the scheme.
He said the NYSC would now be headed by a civilian Director-General instead of the current structure, with three Executive Directors supporting the chief executive.
One of the Executive Directors will oversee security matters and will come from either the military or a recognised paramilitary organisation.
Tinubu said the new leadership structure is intended to strengthen administration while maintaining adequate security oversight of the scheme.
As part of efforts to improve standards nationwide, all orientation camps will now be assessed under a national grading and certification framework.
State governments, which provide facilities for orientation camps, will also be required to meet minimum operational standards before camps are certified.
The President further announced that the traditional Passing-Out Parade at the end of the service year would be replaced with a Graduation Ceremony.
He said the change reflects the new direction of the NYSC, where participants will leave not only after completing compulsory service but also after acquiring practical knowledge and professional skills.
“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,” Tinubu said.
The President commended the Minister of Youth Development, Ayodele Olawande, the Special Adviser on Policy and Coordination, Hadiza Bala Usman, officials of the Federal Ministry of Education and members of the NYSC reform committee for their work in designing 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 other relevant regulations to provide legal backing for the new policies.
The NYSC was established in 1973 by the military government of General Yakubu Gowon in the aftermath of the Nigerian Civil War. Its primary objective was to promote national unity by encouraging graduates to live and work in parts of the country outside their states of origin.
Over the years, the scheme has become a compulsory one-year national service program for graduates of universities and polytechnics below the age of 30. While it has contributed to national integration and manpower development, it has also faced growing criticism over security concerns, poor welfare, unemployment after service and the need to make the programme more relevant to Nigeria’s changing economic realities.
The latest reforms signal the Federal Government’s intention to reposition the NYSC beyond its traditional role of fostering unity by making it a platform for skills development, employment readiness and economic empowerment.
Ending his message, Tinubu assured young Nigerians that his administration remained committed to investing in their future.
“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 said.