Nigeria reforms National Youth Service Corps to focus on skills and employment

President Bola Tinubu announced a comprehensive overhaul of the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC), shifting the programme from a militarised model to a civilian‑led development platform. The new structure expands the orientation camp to six weeks and introduces specialised service streams—including Agriculture, Medical, Education, Tech and Digital, Legal, Public Service, Infrastructure, Green, Enterprise, Creative Economy and Paramilitary – to match graduates’ academic backgrounds and market needs.

The reform aims to boost productivity, reduce youth unemployment and support Tinubu’s goal of a trillion‑dollar economy by equipping graduates with marketable skills and access to financing. APC chieftain Hon. Olatunbosun Oyintiloye praised the changes as a bold move toward youth empowerment and national development, noting that the upgraded NYSC will strengthen human‑capital development and create job opportunities across key sectors.

The overhaul affects roughly 650,000 graduates annually and introduces risk‑sensitive posting to address security concerns in volatile states.