By Rita Amaechi
National News – The Federal Executive Council (FEC) has approved a comprehensive overhaul of the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC), introducing the most far-reaching reforms to the scheme since its establishment in 1973.
The reforms, approved at Monday’s FEC meeting presided over by President Bola Tinubu at the Presidential Villa, Abuja, include replacing the military-led management structure with a civilian Director-General, extending the orientation programme from three to six weeks, restructuring corps members into 11 specialised skill-based streams and replacing the traditional Passing-Out Parade with a graduation ceremony.
The Federal Government also directed the Attorney-General of the Federation to begin the process of amending the NYSC Act to provide legal backing for the reforms.
Briefing journalists after the meeting, Minister of Youth Development Ayodele Wisdom said the overhaul followed a comprehensive review initiated in 2025 to reposition the NYSC as a platform for skills acquisition, entrepreneurship and national productivity.
He said the reforms were necessary to align the scheme with Nigeria’s current economic realities, noting that while the NYSC had contributed to national unity for over five decades, there was a need to make it more relevant to the country’s development goals.
Special Adviser to the President on Policy and Coordination, Hadiza Bala-Usman, described the changes as the first holistic reform of the scheme in its 53-year history. She said the restructuring was designed to support the Federal Government’s ambition of building a one-trillion-dollar economy by equipping corps members with practical and employable skills.
Under the new arrangement, corps members will choose from 11 specialised streams, including agriculture, education, healthcare, technology and digital services, legal services, public service, infrastructure, green economy, enterprise, creative economy and paramilitary/security.
The orientation programme will now run for six weeks. The first phase will focus on civic responsibility, leadership and national values; the second will provide career development, financial literacy and business planning; while the final phase will offer specialised training based on each participant’s chosen stream.
Government officials said corps members enrolled in programmes requiring longer certification periods, particularly in the technology sector, would remain in structured training instead of being posted immediately to their places of primary assignment.
The new management structure will be headed by a civilian Director-General supported by three Executive Directors, while security operations within the scheme will continue to be handled by the military and other security agencies.
Bala-Usman said the reform preserves military involvement in safeguarding corps members while transferring administrative leadership to civilian professionals. She added that the NYSC uniform would be redesigned to project a more professional identity while retaining its unique character.
On the increasing migration of young professionals abroad, popularly known as the “Japa” phenomenon, Bala-Usman said the reforms were aimed at producing globally competitive graduates whose skills could benefit both Nigeria’s economy and foreign exchange earnings.
Beyond the NYSC reforms, FEC approved the establishment of a National Snakebite Research and Medical Centre in Kaltungo, Gombe State by upgrading the existing snakebite treatment facility.
Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Prof. Ali Pate, said the centre would provide specialised treatment, research and training to address the country’s growing burden of snakebite cases, particularly in rural communities across the North-East, North-West and North-Central.
The council also approved the procurement of tuberculosis treatment commodities worth N62 billion, reproductive health commodities valued at N25 billion and 10 compressed natural gas-powered blood donation mobile clinics at a cost of N6.9 billion.
In the aviation sector, FEC approved N34.39 billion for the construction of the Gboko Airstrip in Benue State.
Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo, said the airstrip would boost agricultural activities, strengthen security operations, facilitate humanitarian interventions and improve emergency medical services in the Middle Belt.
