Tinubu: Why We’re Rebranding NYSC As A National Development Scheme

President Bola Tinubu announced significant reforms to the 53-year-old National Youth Service Corps (NYSC), rebranding it as a national development platform. The initiative aims to reposition the scheme from a mobilization exercise into a hub for skills, employability, productivity, and enterprise development.

Tinubu directed the Ministry of Youth Development and the Ministry of Justice to expedite amendments to the NYSC Act and its regulations. Under the new structure, the NYSC will be led by a civilian Director-General, supported by three Executive Directors. One of these directors will be a military or paramilitary officer responsible for security services.

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On Monday, at the Federal Executive Council, our administration approved the most consequential reforms of the National Youth Service Corps Scheme since its establishment in 1973.

The president stated that these reforms are crucial for actualizing his promise to create meaningful opportunities for Nigeria's youth, who constitute nearly 70% of the population. He described them as the "engine of the one-trillion-dollar economy" the administration is building.

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We are repositioning the NYSC from a mobilisation scheme into a national development platform for skills, employability, productivity and enterprise.

The NYSC orientation program will be reduced to six weeks. It will now include modules on civic responsibility, leadership, values, and personal development, followed by training in career readiness, entrepreneurship, and digital skills. Corps members will also receive specialized training tailored to their academic backgrounds and career aspirations, covering fields such as agriculture, health, education, technology, law, public service, infrastructure, and the green and creative economies.

Deployment to security-challenged states will be managed through risk assessments, prioritizing indigenes, residents, and graduates from those states or neighboring geopolitical zones. The call-up process will also become technology-driven to enhance efficiency and safety.

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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.