President Bola Tinubu’s government has approved comprehensive reforms for the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC), introducing changes aimed at expanding skills acquisition and transforming the scheme into a platform for human capital development.

The reforms were approved by Mr Tinubu, in collaboration with the ministries of education and youth and the Office of the Special Adviser to the President on Policy Coordination, to transform the 53-year-old programme and promote entrepreneurship.

Here are key reforms Nigerian students and graduates preparing for the NYSC should know about.

1 The mobilisation process for graduates will be replaced by a modernised, technology-driven call-up process, designed to reduce registration challenges and improve efficiency and transparency in the programme.

2 For the first time since the scheme was established,  the NYSC IS set to be headed by a civilian rather than a serving military officer. However, the Nigerian military will retain full responsibility for securing corps members nationwide.

3 The traditional three-week orientation camp will be extended to six weeks. Traditional military drills will be scrapped to place more emphasis on leadership, entrepreneurship, and technology-related skills. The orientation will be divided into three phases: civic responsibility, career mapping, and specialised training based on academic backgrounds.

4 The reforms introduce 11 specialised career streams that corps members can select during registration. They include Agric Corps, Medical Corps, Education Corps, Tech and Digital Corps, Legal Corps, Public Service Corps, Infrastructure Corps, Green Corps, Enterprise Corps, Creative Economy Corps, and Paramilitary and Security Corps.

5 The traditional passing-out parade is expected to be replaced with a formal graduation ceremony.

6 Skills-based primary assignments will be implemented to match corps members’ roles to their academic backgrounds and career goals, improving their economic inclusion and curbing the underutilisation of their skills.

7 The deployment process for corps members will be improved to minimise security risks when they are posted.

8 A national grading and certification will be introduced to all NYSC orientation camps nationwide. 

Despite the reforms, the development will not apply to current corps members, as the core one-year mandatory national service remains unchanged.