The federal government has launched a reform of the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC), introducing a ₦2 billion innovation fund to support the scheme.
Speaking at the unveiling, special adviser to the president on policy and coordination, Hadiza Bala Usman, said the reform aims to modernise the 52-year-old programme.
She noted that the NYSC Act was last reviewed in 1993 and is no longer suitable for today’s digital economy.
The reform committee identified legal, operational, and fiscal gaps that must be addressed to ensure the scheme’s sustainability.
Bala Usman outlined the proposals, which include: A three-tier governance structure at national, state, and local levels, Decentralised funding arrangements, and A sector-aligned deployment model, posting corps members to priority areas such as education, healthcare, agriculture, the digital economy, climate resilience, and public infrastructure.
She emphasised that the NYSC must evolve to be fiscally sustainable, digitally enabled, and aligned with national manpower needs.
The ₦2 billion innovation fund will finance digital systems, skill acquisition, seed grants, and governance reforms.
The minister of youth development, Ayodele Olawande, highlighted that the initiative involves collaboration with multiple agencies, including the ministry of education and the Nigeria Institute of Policy and Strategic Studies (NIPSS).
He stressed that corps members should leave service equipped with marketable skills or the ability to create jobs, rather than immediately seeking employment.
The draft framework will address placement gaps, provide post service credit access for entrepreneurs, and ensure postings align with national manpower priorities.
The NYSC director general, Olakunle Oluseye Nafiu, noted that the scheme now mobilises about 400,000 corps members annually, compared with just 2,364 in 1973.
He acknowledged that funding misunderstandings at state levels persist and pledged greater transparency and collaboration with states.
Kashifu Inuwa, director general of National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA), added that technology and talent development are central to the reform.
NITDA has trained over 12,000 NYSC champions, who have taught 400,000 Nigerians basic digital skills, and is using the NYSC platform to incubate youth startups, provide seed funding, and pilot AI solutions.
The reform also proposes a sector-aligned COP+ stream model, improved welfare and safety measures for corps members, and phased deployment of digital infrastructure to integrate mobilisation, posting, payment, and monitoring systems.
Final recommendations from the consultative forum will be submitted to the Federal Executive Council (FEC) and then the national assembly for legal amendments.
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