Why We Reformed NYSC

President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has explained that his administration approved far-reaching reforms of the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) to equip young Nigerians with skills, values and opportunities needed to drive the country’s economic growth and national development.

The President gave the explanation in a post on his verified X handle yesterday, two days after the Federal Executive Council (FEC) approved what he described as the most consequential reforms of the NYSC since its establishment in 1973.

Tinubu said the reforms fulfilled a promise he made on the day of his inauguration to create meaningful opportunities for young people and ensure that women and youths feature prominently in his administration.

“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.

While acknowledging that the NYSC had served the cause of national unity for 53 years, the President said the country’s changing realities require a broader mandate for the scheme.

“Our young people are nearly 70 per cent of our population. They are not a burden to be managed. They are the engine of the one-trillion-dollar economy we are building and the hope of this nation,” he stated.

Tinubu said the government was repositioning the NYSC from a mobilisation scheme into a national development platform focused on skills acquisition, employability, productivity and enterprise.

According to him, the orientation programme will now run for six weeks, beginning with civic responsibility, leadership, values and personal development before progressing to career readiness, entrepreneurship, digital and financial skills.

He added that corps members would also receive specialised training aligned with their academic backgrounds and career paths, covering sectors such as agriculture, health, education, technology, law, public service, infrastructure, the green economy, enterprise, the creative economy and para-military or security services.

“Every corps member must leave NYSC better prepared for work, enterprise and national service,” the President said.

Tinubu also said the reforms would make the scheme safer and more efficient through technology-driven deployment and improved matching of corps members with places of primary assignment based on their academic qualifications, skills and career streams.

He explained that deployment to security-challenged states would be guided by risk assessment, with priority given to indigenes, residents, graduates of institutions in those states and those from neighbouring states within the same geopolitical zone.

The President further announced governance reforms, including the appointment of a civilian Director-General to head the scheme, supported by three Executive Directors, one of whom will be a military or paramilitary officer responsible for security.

He added that orientation camps would be assessed under a national grading and certification framework. At the same time, the traditional Passing-Out Parade would become a Graduation Ceremony to reflect the enhanced training corps members would receive.