Youth Minister Pushes For Social Reform, Internship Scheme For Corps Members

The Minister for Youth Development, Ayodele Olawande, has called for far-reaching reforms aimed at equipping National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) members with relevant skills and opportunities that align with the demands of the contemporary job market.

Speaking at the opening ceremony of the 2025 NYSC Annual Management Conference in Abuja, Olawande emphasised the importance of empowering Nigerian youths through agriculture, rural healthcare, and skill-based initiatives.

“We must make Corps Members more useful to the society through agriculture, rural health, self-empowerment through skills, among others,” the Minister said, adding that the government must prioritise a National Internship Scheme dedicated solely to youth empowerment.

He also pledged the continued support of the Ministry of Youth Development for the NYSC Scheme, which he described as a vital tool for national development.

The Annual Management Conference, which brought together top NYSC officials and stakeholders, serves as a platform to evaluate the Scheme’s progress and set new goals for the year.

In his keynote address, the Director General of the NYSC, Brigadier General Olakunle Nafiu, noted that the 2025 theme, “Transforming the NYSC Scheme to Meet the Yearnings of Contemporary Nigerian Graduates and Society”, was inspired by growing calls for a new direction in youth service.

“This Conference provides an avenue to critically review our past activities and develop new strategies for enhanced performance,” General Nafiu said. “The theme was borne out of the realization that both the Corps Members and the Nation at large have recently demanded a change in the way of doing things.”

He also lauded President Bola Tinubu for the recent implementation of the reviewed Corps Members’ allowance, and praised First Lady, Senator Oluremi Tinubu, for her unwavering support for Nigerian youths.

“NYSC Management will continue to devise strategies and programmes that will better prepare the youths for the future ahead of them,” he affirmed.

Delivering a goodwill message on behalf of the Federal Capital Territory Minister, Barrister Nyesom Wike, the Mandate Secretary for Youth and Sports, Hon. Ango A. Suleiman, reiterated the FCT Administration’s “unalloyed support” for the growth and sustainability of the NYSC Scheme.

Earlier, the Director of Planning, Research, and Statistics at NYSC, Alhaji Ahmed Wada Ikaka, said the conference would encourage participants to introspectively assess the Scheme and craft solutions that align with the current realities facing Nigerian graduates and society.