The Federal Government has established a committee to implement significant changes to the National Youth Service Corps.
The goal is to strengthen the scheme, make it more beneficial to national growth, and better suited to the needs of Nigerian youths.
This decision followed rising concerns about the safety of corps members, poor facilities, and whether the NYSC still fits into today’s social and economic realities.
The inauguration of the committee happened in Abuja on Tuesday, with key people from government, civil society, and private businesses in attendance.
Speaking at the event, the Minister of Youth Development, Ayodele Olawande, said the NYSC has played an important role in building national unity and helping young people since 1973.
He said, “The issues of corps members’ safety, infrastructural challenges, and the broader question of the scheme’s relevance in an increasingly dynamic socio-economic environment are among the key concerns. However, these challenges also present opportunities that require urgent, visionary, and determined action.”
According to Olawande, the committee would examine NYSC’s operations and give recommendations on ways to make it safer, more creative, and more impactful.
“The outcome of this review must align with broader national development objectives, positioning the NYSC as a strategic tool for youth empowerment and nation-building,” he added.
The committee will review current NYSC policies, talk to people across the country and suggest changes to laws, policies, and how the scheme is run.
It will also come up with better ways to fund, track and improve the NYSC.
The final report will be submitted to the minister within a set time.
Also at the event, the Minister of Education, Maruf Tunji Alausa, stated that the government planned to start a Teachers’ Corps and a Medical Corps.
These will be for NCE graduates and healthcare workers ready to serve in rural areas.
Alausa explained, “The Teachers’ Corps would help bridge educational gaps and create a pathway to government employment, while the Medical Corps would strengthen healthcare delivery in underserved areas, addressing critical issues such as maternal and child health.”
The Special Adviser to the President on Policy and Coordination, Hadiza Usman, stressed the need to improve technical and vocational skills training.
“Such alignment would empower young people to make meaningful, long-term contributions to their communities and to the nation as a whole,” Usman said.
