The Federal Government has unveiled a comprehensive reform agenda for the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC), introducing measures aimed at making the scheme more relevant, digitally driven, and responsive to Nigeria’s evolving economic and labour market needs.
The reform blueprint, presented during a stakeholders’ consultative forum in Abuja, proposes a phased implementation between 2026 and 2028. The initiative is designed to strengthen the NYSC through legislative amendments, improved funding, digital transformation, and enhanced skills development.
Among the key proposals are the establishment of a unified digital service platform, a new co-funding arrangement involving the federal, state and local governments, gender-responsive deployment of corps members, stronger employer obligations, and a three-tier governance structure to improve accountability. The plan also includes the creation of zonal innovation hubs and a proposed ₦2 billion NYSC Innovation Fund to support entrepreneurship and innovation.
Speaking at the event, Minister of Youth Development, Ayodele Olawande said the reforms are intended to equip corps members with practical skills that will enable them to become entrepreneurs and employers of labour, rather than relying solely on government employment after service.
Director-General of the NYSC, Olakunle Nafiu, noted that the scheme has evolved significantly since its establishment in 1973, with annual mobilisation increasing from just over 2,000 corps members to about 400,000. He stressed that continuous reforms are necessary to keep the programme relevant to national development.
Also contributing, Hadiza Bala Usman explained that diagnostic reviews identified legal, fiscal, operational and digital gaps that necessitated the reforms. She said the recommendations are expected to modernise the scheme while improving efficiency, accountability and service delivery.
The government said the reforms will be implemented in phases, beginning with legislative amendments and digital pilot programmes before expanding to a nationwide, sector-based deployment model by 2028.