Tinubu Defends NYSC Reforms, Says Changes Will Boost Youth Employability

President Bola Tinubu has defended his administration’s reforms of the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC), saying the changes are aimed at equipping young Nigerians with practical skills, improving employability, and promoting national development.

In a post on his official X account on Wednesday, Tinubu described the reforms approved by the Federal Executive Council as the most significant since the NYSC was established in 1973. He said the overhaul fulfills his administration’s commitment to creating greater opportunities for young people.

According to the president, the NYSC will be repositioned from a mobilisation programme into a national development platform focused on skills acquisition, employability, productivity, and entrepreneurship.

Under the new framework, the orientation programme will be extended to six weeks and divided into three phases covering civic responsibility and leadership, career development and financial literacy, and specialised training based on participants’ chosen career paths.

Corps members will select from 11 specialised streams, including Agriculture, Medicine, Education, Technology and Digital, Law, Public Service, Infrastructure, Green Economy, Enterprise, Creative Economy, and Paramilitary and Security Services.

Tinubu also announced new safety measures, stating that deployment to security-challenged states will be based on risk assessments, with priority given to indigenes, residents, graduates of institutions within affected states, and candidates from neighbouring states in the same geopolitical zone.

The reforms also introduce a fully technology-driven call-up process, civilian leadership for the NYSC headed by a Director-General supported by three Executive Directors, a national grading system for orientation camps, and the replacement of the traditional Passing-Out Parade with a formal graduation ceremony.

The president said he has directed the Federal Ministry of Youth Development and the Federal Ministry of Justice to begin amending the NYSC Act to provide legal backing for the reforms.

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