•As Rep Martins Esin visits Rivers camp, assesses facilities
The Presidency has unveiled sweeping reforms to the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC), including plans to extend the orientation programme from three to six weeks, introduce specialised career-based training, and review corps members’ deployment procedures to better reflect the country’s security realities.
The proposed reforms were disclosed Monday, 29 June, by the Special Adviser to President Bola Tinubu on Policy Coordination and former Director-General of the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA), Hadiza Bala Usman, who said the initiative is designed to reposition the NYSC as a stronger platform for skills development, employability and national service.
According to Usman, the restructured orientation programme will run in three phases.
“The first two weeks”, she said, “will focus on civic responsibility, national values and leadership development, while the second two weeks will centre on career mapping, financial literacy, business planning and access to finance.”
Similarly, she said “the final two weeks will provide specialised training tailored to each corps member’s chosen career path.”
She explained that under the new framework, prospective corps members will select one of 11 specialised streams during registration.
The 11 streams 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.
Usman said the specialised streams are intended to equip graduates with practical skills aligned with their academic backgrounds, career aspirations and Nigeria’s evolving workforce needs.
She further disclosed that the reforms would also overhaul deployment procedures, including the posting of corps members across states, with greater consideration given to prevailing security concerns.
Meanwhile, Chairman of the House of Representatives Committee on Youth Development, Hon. Martins Esin, has expressed optimism that the proposed NYSC Trust Fund would complement the planned reforms by providing sustainable funding for the Scheme and expanding opportunities for corps members beyond their service year.
Speaking during an oversight visit to the NYSC Orientation Camp in Rivers State, Esin described the proposed Trust Fund as a transformative initiative capable of repositioning the NYSC from a platform focused solely on national service to one that also drives wealth creation, enterprise development and youth empowerment.
He noted that with the Bill awaiting Presidential assent, the Trust Fund is expected to strengthen skills acquisition and entrepreneurship programmes while creating greater post-service opportunities for corps members.
“As part of our oversight responsibility, we inspected key facilities at the camp, including the medical clinic, hostels, kitchen and other critical infrastructure, to assess the conditions under which our corps members are being accommodated and trained,” Esin said.
He said the Federal Government in close alliance with the National Assembly, is poised to modernise the NYSC, enhance its relevance to national development and equip Nigerian graduates with practical competencies capable of improving their employability and entrepreneurial prospects after service.
