The Federal Government has unveiled a reform framework for the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC), marking the most comprehensive overhaul of the 52-year-old scheme since its establishment in 1973.
Speaking on Monday in Abuja during a stakeholders consultative forum on the NYSC reform, Ayodele Olawande, Minister of Youth Development said that the draft reform framework seeks to modernise the scheme by prioritising skills development, strengthening governance, integrating digital innovation, and improving post-service opportunities for corps members.
Olawande explained that the reforms were born out of broad collaboration among key ministries and institutions, including the Ministry of Youth Development, Ministry of Education, the Office of the Special Adviser to the President on Policy and Coordination, the Nigeria Institute of Policy and Strategic Studies (NIPSS), and the NYSC itself.
According to him, the current NYSC structure no longer aligns fully with the evolving needs of the nation or the professional capacities of Nigerian graduates.
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He stressed the need to ensure corps members are deployed in areas that match their academic background and talent, describing current mismatches as a lost opportunity for both the nation and its youths.
“We must recognize that the scheme needs to move with the times. While NYSC management has made significant efforts, there is still a lot of work to be done. Many corps members are posted to offices unrelated to their academic training, and this limits their contribution to key sectors where their skills are most needed,” the minister said.
Olawande said the reforms will also tackle long-standing issues such as corps member rejection, welfare gaps, and weak alignment between the NYSC and job creation pathways.
He emphasised that the goal is to ensure that young Nigerians leave the scheme not only ready for employment, but in many cases, prepared to become employers of labour.
“We don’t want corps members to leave NYSC and start hunting for jobs again. We want to create a system where they can access credit, build their businesses, and fully apply the skills gained during and after service,” he added.
Olakunle Nafiu, Director-General of the NYSC, also addressed stakeholders, commending President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for supporting efforts to modernise the scheme. He noted that reforms are essential to sustain the NYSC’s relevance, especially as the number of graduates mobilised annually continues to rise.
“From 2,364 corps members mobilised in 1973, the figure has grown to 400,000 annually, with projections indicating up to 650,000 eligible graduates next year,” he said.
Nafiu said this rapid expansion underscores the urgency of strengthening the scheme’s operational structure, logistics, and funding model.
He further clarified that the NYSC, contrary to popular belief, is not solely a federal responsibility. It is listed on both the exclusive and concurrent legislative lists, making states equally responsible for supporting corps deployment, welfare, and orientation activities.
He said that more states are now responding positively following engagements by the NYSC leadership.
Despite security and economic challenges, the DG described the NYSC as a leading model in Africa, with several countries, including Tanzania, Ghana and Egypt studying Nigeria’s approach to national service management and reform.
Nafiu assured stakeholders that the NYSC is fully aligned with the committee’s work and committed to implementing reforms that will strengthen the scheme’s role as a driver of national unity, youth empowerment, and grassroots development.
The Federal Government said the proposed reforms will undergo validation before implementation begins. The reform framework is expected to be finalised and adopted after further consultations.
In his remarks, Kashifu Inuwa Abdullahi, Director General of the National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA), reaffirmed the agency’s commitment to supporting the reforms, emphasising that Nigeria’s greatest wealth lies in its young people.
“Technology makes our lives better, but people make technology better. Nigeria is blessed with a youthful population. If we harness it well, we can position Nigeria as a global talent exporter,” Abdullahi said.
Abdullahi warned that failure to reform youth engagement systems, including NYSC, would risk wasting the nation’s most valuable asset.
Abdullahi added that NITDA accepts over 400 corps members annually, placing them through intensive technical and soft skills training.
