Federal Executive Council overhauls National Youth Service Corps, to be led by non-military personnel

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•Introduces professional training for corps members to boost employability

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By Johnbosco Agbakwuru

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ABUJA — The Federal Executive Council, FEC, yesterday approved sweeping reforms to the National Youth Service Corps, NYSC, announcing that the scheme will now be headed by a civilian instead of a military officer.

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Briefing State House correspondents after the FEC meeting presided over by President Bola Tinubu at the Presidential Villa, Abuja, the Minister of Youth Development, Ayodele Olawande, said the reforms would also introduce professional training programmes for corps members to enhance their employability and entrepreneurial skills.

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He explained that the NYSC would retain its one-year service duration while incorporating flexible, skills-based training programmes into the service year. Under the new framework, he said, the scheme would remain civilian-led, while the Nigerian military would continue to be responsible for the security of corps members nationwide.

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“Graduates enrolled in specialised streams, such as the proposed Digital Corps, may spend additional time in training before deployment to their primary places of assignment to earn professional certifications that enhance employability and self-employment opportunities,” Olawan-de said.

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He explained that the reforms are aimed at consolidating youth development programmes under the NYSC to improve coordination, monitoring and accountability.

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Providing further clarification, the Special Adviser to the President on Policy Coordination, Hadiza Bala Usman, said the reforms would not affect the military’s responsibility for the security of corps members. “The safety aspect of our corps members still remains with the military. The operational leadership of the NYSC will be civilian-led, but security will continue to be anchored and implemented by the Nigerian military,” she said.

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To give legal backing to the reforms, the Federal Executive Council directed the Attorney-General of the Federation, in collaboration with the Ministry of Youth Development, to amend the NYSC Act and its regulations to facilitate the immediate implementation of the approved changes.

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On concerns over the growing brain drain, Bala Usman said the government’s focus is on producing more graduates, particularly in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM), and equipping them with globally relevant skills.

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She noted that whether beneficiaries remain in Nigeria or eventually seek opportunities abroad, they would be better positioned to contribute to national development and, where applicable, return with valuable global experience.

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