President Tinubu has approved a major NYSC reforms and replaced passing out parade with graduation ceremony.
NewsOnline Nigeria reports that President Bola Tinubu has approved a comprehensive reform of the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC), introducing sweeping changes aimed at modernising the scheme, improving the welfare and safety of corps members, and aligning the programme with Nigeria’s evolving development priorities.
One of the major reforms approved by the President is the operational leadership of the NYSC by civilians, while the military will continue to provide security support for corps members deployed across the country.
To facilitate the implementation of the reforms, Tinubu directed the Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Lateef Fagbemi (SAN), alongside the Minister of Youth Development, Ayodele Olawande, to amend the NYSC Act and other relevant regulations to reflect the approved changes.
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The reforms also introduce a technology-driven mobilisation and call-up process designed to improve efficiency and transparency in the deployment of corps members nationwide.
Under the new framework, the NYSC will adopt a risk-sensitive deployment system to enhance the security of corps members by taking prevailing security conditions into account when making postings.
The six-week orientation programme has also been redesigned to place greater emphasis on leadership development, entrepreneurship, digital skills acquisition and specialised career pathways to better prepare participants for life after national service.
In addition, corps members will now receive skills-based primary assignments that align with their academic qualifications, professional competencies and career aspirations, replacing the traditional posting approach that often overlooked graduates’ areas of expertise.
The Federal Government also approved improvements to orientation camp facilities through the introduction of a national grading and certification system aimed at raising standards across NYSC camps nationwide.
As part of efforts to strengthen the identity and image of the scheme, the NYSC uniform will also be redesigned to reflect professionalism, discipline and national pride.
In another significant change, the long-standing Passing Out Parade (POP), which traditionally marks the completion of the one-year national service, will be replaced with a graduation ceremony under the new structure.
The reforms are expected to transform the NYSC into a more modern, technology-driven and skills-oriented national service programme while improving the overall experience, employability and safety of Nigerian graduates participating in the scheme.
The Federal Government is expected to begin implementing the reforms once the necessary amendments to the NYSC Act and related regulations are completed.
