The Federal Government has approved a comprehensive reform of the National Youth Service Corps, splitting the orientation programme into three distinct phases and introducing 11 specialised career streams for corps members at the point of registration. The Special Adviser to President Bola Tinubu on Policy Coordination, Hadiza Bala Usman, disclosed the details of the restructuring on Monday following a Federal Executive Council meeting in Abuja. The Minister of Youth Development, Ayodele Olawande, described the development as the first holistic review of the 53-year-old scheme since it was established in 1973.
Briefing State House correspondents, Usman explained that the orientation camp experience would be extended from the traditional three weeks to six weeks, broken down into three separate two-week phases. The first two weeks of the orientation will focus primarily on civic responsibility, national values, and leadership development. The subsequent two weeks will cover career mapping, basic accounting, financial literacy, business planning, and access to finance. Usman stated, “And then we intend to introduce a structured career day programme to enable COP members engage directly with the public,”
The final two weeks, which the presidential aide described as a minimal period, will be dedicated to stream-specific training aligned with the designated stream of each corps member. This phase will factor in individual choices, academic backgrounds, and skill profiles. Under the new framework, every participant must select one of the 11 specialised streams during registration. These pathways include the Agric Corps, Medical Corps, Education Corps, Tech and Digital Corps, and Legal Corps. Other options available to the graduates are the Public Service Corps, Infrastructure Corps, Green Corps, Enterprise Corps, Creative Economy Corps, and Paramilitary and Security Corps.
Upon registering under a particular pathway, corps members will be formally recognised by that designation, such as a member of the Medical Corps, and will receive tailored training during their final fortnight in camp. Usman noted that the streams were created to equip graduates with practical skills tailored to their career interests, academic backgrounds, and the overarching needs of the workforce in Nigeria. Furthermore, the authorities stated that the future deployment of participants across the states will give greater consideration to prevailing security challenges, building on what Olawande previously termed a risk-sensitive deployment strategy.
In another major shift, the leadership of the scheme will transition from military to civilian control, although the military will continue to provide security for participants nationwide. Usman noted that this structural adjustment reflects the broader push of the administration to build the human capital required for a $1 trillion economy. Olawande also announced that the reform introduces a redesigned uniform that reflects professionalism and national pride, effectively replacing the attire worn since the inception of the scheme. Additionally, the traditional Passing Out Parade will be scrapped and replaced with a new graduation ceremony, while camp standards nationwide will be enhanced through a national grading and certification system. The Federal Executive Council has directed the Attorney-General of the Federation and the Ministry of Youth Development to amend the NYSC Act and its regulations to provide legal backing for the changes.
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