Nigerian Government Reforms NYSC to Civilian-Led, Skills-Oriented

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The Federal Government has approved a major overhaul of the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC), ending decades of military operational leadership of the scheme and introducing reforms aimed at expanding skills development and youth empowerment programmes.

The approval was granted by the Federal Executive Council (FEC) during its meeting in Abuja on Monday, June 29, marking the first comprehensive review of the NYSC since the scheme was established in 1973.

Under the new framework, the day-to-day operations of the NYSC will be headed by a civilian, while the military will continue to provide security support for corps members across the country.

The government also directed the Attorney-General of the Federation and the Federal Ministry of Youth Development to amend the NYSC Act and other relevant regulations to enable the implementation of the reforms.

Announcing the decision, the Minister of Youth Development, Ayodele Olawande, said the reforms were designed to align the scheme with Nigeria’s current social and economic realities. He said the government intends to reposition the NYSC as a platform that prioritises skills acquisition, entrepreneurship and productivity alongside its long-standing national integration mandate.

Special Adviser to the President on Policy Coordination, Hadiza Bala Usman, led the briefing on the reform, stating that there was a need to reposition the NYSC as a civilian-led, skill-oriented, productivity-driven, and youth-empowering national institution to support the administration’s ambition of building a $1 trillion economy. 

“We need to strengthen human capital development to enhance the workforce that is needed for us to promote and align with our national development.”

stated that the NYSC has been segmented across 11 different core streams, designed around the skill sets Nigeria needs from its youth after graduation. 

Under the new orientation camp structure, the first two weeks will focus on civic responsibility, national values, and leadership development, while the next two weeks will cover career mapping, basic accounting literacy, business planning, and access to finance, alongside a structured career day programme. 

The final two weeks will be dedicated to stream-specific training aligned with each corps member’s chosen stream, academic background, and skill profile.