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The Nigerian Government has unveiled sweeping reforms to the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC), introducing an expanded six-week orientation programme, 11 specialised career streams, revised deployment guidelines and a new graduation ceremony.
The reforms, approved by the Federal Executive Council (FEC), mark the first comprehensive review of the scheme since its establishment in 1973.
Credit: Punch
The Special Adviser to President Bola Tinubu on Policy Coordination, Hadiza Bala Usman, said the new orientation programme will run for six weeks instead of three and will be divided into three phases of two weeks each.
According to her, the first phase will focus on civic responsibility, national values and leadership development.
The second phase will cover career mapping, basic accounting, financial literacy, business planning, access to finance and a structured career day programme to connect corps members with employers and other stakeholders.
The final two weeks will provide specialised training based on each participant’s selected career stream, academic background and skills.
Under the new framework, every prospective corps member will choose one of 11 specialised streams during registration. The streams are Agric Corps, Medical Corps, Education Corps, Tech and Digital Corps, Legal Corps, Public Service Corps, Infrastructure Corps, Green Corps, Enterprise Corps, Creative Economy Corps and Paramilitary and Security Corps.
Corps members will receive stream-specific training and will be recognised according to their chosen field throughout the service year.
Usman said the new structure is designed to equip graduates with practical skills that align with their academic qualifications, career interests and the country’s workforce needs.
The reforms also introduce a revised deployment system that takes prevailing security conditions into greater account when posting corps members across the country.
In another major change, the NYSC will now be headed by a civilian, while the military will continue providing security support during orientation camps and throughout the service year.
Minister of Youth Development Ayodele Olawande said the reforms also include a redesigned NYSC uniform to reflect professionalism and national pride.
The traditional Passing Out Parade will be replaced with a graduation ceremony, while a national grading and certification system will standardise facilities and services across orientation camps.
Usman said the reforms cover all key aspects of the scheme, including registration, deployment, orientation and skills development, making them the most extensive changes in the NYSC’s 53-year history.
The Federal Executive Council has directed the Attorney-General of the Federation, in collaboration with the Federal Ministry of Youth Development, to amend the NYSC Act and relevant regulations to provide legal backing for the approved reforms.
