Editor: Chinwe Mamah
The Federal Executive Council (FEC) has approved a comprehensive reform of the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC), marking the first major restructuring of the scheme since its establishment 53 years ago.
The reforms are aimed at repositioning the NYSC into a more skills-focused and youth development-oriented institution aligned with national economic priorities.
At its meeting in Abuja, the Council approved wide-ranging changes to strengthen the structure and operations of the NYSC.
A key component of the overhaul is the leadership structure of the scheme. Under the new arrangement, the NYSC will be headed by a civilian, while the military will continue to provide security support for corps members across the country.
The Council also directed the Attorney-General of the Federation and the Federal Ministry of Youth to amend the NYSC Act and other relevant regulations to provide legal backing for the reforms.
Announcing the approval on X, the Minister of Youth Development, Ayodele Olawande, described the reforms as the first holistic review of the scheme in its 53-year history.
Olawande said the approved reforms would reposition the scheme as “a skills-driven, productivity-focused and youth-empowering institution that aligns with President Bola Tinubu’s vision of building a $1 trillion economy.”
According to him, the reforms include “a technology-driven call-up process, risk-sensitive deployment to better protect corps members, a redesigned six-week orientation programme with stronger focus on leadership, entrepreneurship, digital skills and specialised career streams, skills-based primary assignments aligned with academic background and career pathways, modern governance with civilian operational leadership while the military continues to provide security support, improved camp standards through a national grading and certification system, and a new graduation ceremony to replace the Passing Out Parade, alongside a redesigned NYSC uniform that reflects professionalism and national pride.”
Olawande said the reform process began in 2025 through a broad-based review involving the Federal Ministry of Youth Development, the Federal Ministry of Education and the Office of the Special Adviser to the President on Policy and Coordination before receiving FEC approval.
Established in 1973 following the Nigerian Civil War, the NYSC was created to promote national unity by deploying graduates to states outside their regions of origin for one year of compulsory national service.
The latest reforms represent the first comprehensive review of the scheme since its creation, with the Federal Government saying the changes are designed to make the institution more relevant to Nigeria’s contemporary economic and youth development needs.
