By Ijeoma Agbafo
The Federal Government has approved comprehensive reforms to the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC), marking the first major overhaul of the scheme since its establishment 53 years ago.
The reforms, approved by the Federal Executive Council (FEC), are aimed at repositioning the scheme as a skills-driven, productivity-focused, and youth-empowerment programme aligned with the country’s economic development goals. Implementation will require amendments to the NYSC Act and relevant regulations by the Office of the Attorney-General of the Federation and the Ministry of Youth Development.
Under the new framework, the scheme will adopt civilian operational leadership, while the military will continue to provide security for corps members. The government also approved a technology-driven mobilisation process, risk-sensitive deployment to improve the safety of corps members and a redesigned six-week orientation programme focusing on civic responsibility, leadership, entrepreneurship, financial literacy, career development and specialised skills training.
The reforms also provide for skills-based primary assignments aligned with corps members’ academic qualifications and career paths, improved orientation camp standards through a national grading and certification system, a redesigned NYSC uniform, and a new graduation ceremony to replace the traditional Passing Out Parade.
The government said the reforms are expected to strengthen entrepreneurship, digital skills, leadership and workforce development while addressing longstanding concerns over safety, irrelevant postings and the limited impact of the scheme. Implementation will be phased, with some of the changes expected to take effect from subsequent 2026 mobilisation batches.
