By Muhammad Amaan
The Federal Government of Nigeria has approved a sweeping reform of the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC), marking the first comprehensive overhaul of the scheme since its establishment 53 years ago.
The landmark reform, approved by the Federal Executive Council (FEC), will see the NYSC led by a civilian in its operational leadership, while the military will continue to provide security for corps members across the country.
As part of the decision, FEC directed the Attorney-General of the Federation and the Ministry of Youth to amend the NYSC Act and relevant regulations to enable the immediate implementation of the new framework.
The reforms are designed to reposition the NYSC as a skill-oriented, productivity-driven, and youth-empowering institution aligned with the Tinubu administration’s goal of building a $1 trillion economy.
Speaking on the development, the Special Adviser to the President on Policy Coordination, Mrs Hadiza Bala Usman, said the reforms would strengthen human capital development and better prepare Nigerian graduates for national development.
She explained that the orientation camp would be restructured into three phases: the first two weeks will focus on civic responsibility, national values and leadership development; the next two weeks will cover career mapping, financial literacy, business planning and access to finance; while the final two weeks will provide specialised training based on each corps member’s chosen career stream.
Under the new framework, corps members will select one of 11 specialised streams, including Agric Corps, Medical Corps, Education Corps, Tech and Digital Corps, Legal Corps, Public Service Corps, Infrastructure Corps, Green Corps, Enterprise Corps, Creative Economy Corps, and Paramilitary and Security Corps.
According to her, the specialised streams will equip graduates with practical skills tailored to their academic backgrounds, career interests and the country’s workforce needs.
She described the initiative as the first holistic reform of the NYSC since its creation in 1973, saying it reflects President Bola Tinubu’s commitment to transforming the scheme into a modern institution focused on youth empowerment, skills development and national productivity while preserving its role in promoting national unity.
The NYSC is a mandatory, post-tertiary scheme set up by the Nigerian government during the military regime of Head of State, General Yakubu Gowon, to “reconstruct, reconcile and rebuild the country after the Nigerian Civil war.”
The scheme was created on May 22, 1973 by decree No. 24, which stated that the scheme was created “with a view to the proper encouragement and development of common ties among the youths of Nigeria and the promotion of national unity.
