FG Overhauls NYSC After 53 Years, Approves Civilian Leadership, Skills-Based Service Scheme

The Federal Government has approved the most far-reaching overhaul of the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) since its establishment 53 years ago, paving the way for a civilian-led, skills-driven service scheme designed to equip graduates for employment, entrepreneurship and national development.

The landmark reform, approved by the Federal Executive Council (FEC), will see the NYSC transition from military operational leadership to civilian management, while the military will retain responsibility for the security of corps members. The reforms also introduce specialised career streams, expanded vocational training and a new orientation camp structure aimed at producing a workforce capable of supporting Nigeria’s ambition of building a $1 trillion economy.

To fast-track implementation, FEC directed the Attorney-General of the Federation and the Ministry of Youth Development to amend the NYSC Act and other relevant regulations to reflect the approved changes.

Speaking on the reform, the Special Adviser to the President on Policy Coordination, Hadiza Bala Usman, said the review was necessary to reposition the scheme as a modern institution focused on youth empowerment, skills development and productivity.

She explained that the reforms would strengthen Nigeria’s human capital by aligning the NYSC with the country’s economic priorities.

According to her, the review covers virtually every aspect of the scheme, including registration, deployment, security considerations, orientation camp activities and post-service opportunities.

Under the new model, corps members will undergo a redesigned six-week orientation programme. The first two weeks will focus on civic responsibility, national values and leadership development. The next two weeks will cover career mapping, financial literacy, business planning and access to finance, alongside a structured career engagement programme with employers and public institutions.

The final two weeks will be dedicated to specialised training based on each corps member’s academic background, career interests and chosen service stream.

Bala Usman disclosed that the government has created 11 specialised NYSC streams from which participants will choose during registration.

The 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.

She said each stream would offer targeted training designed to prepare graduates for careers in critical sectors of the economy.

According to her, the reform represents the first comprehensive review of the NYSC since its creation in 1973 and reflects President Bola Tinubu’s commitment to transforming the scheme into a platform for building skilled manpower capable of driving economic growth.

The NYSC was established by Decree No. 24 of May 22, 1973, in the aftermath of the Nigerian Civil War to foster national unity, integration and reconciliation among Nigerian youths.

The scheme is currently headed by Brigadier General Olakunle Nafiu but will, under the approved reforms, transition to civilian operational leadership once the necessary legal amendments are completed.

BREAKING: Gunmen Kill Teacher, Abduct Scores of Students in Borno School Attack

Lassa, Borno State – In a brazen daylight assault on Monday, suspected Boko Haram and Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP) terrorists attacked Government Day Secondary School in Lassa, Askira/Uba Local Government Area, killing a teacher and abducting an unspecified number of students who were writing the National Examinations Council (NECO) Senior School Certificate Examination.

The attackers reportedly stormed the school at about 9 a.m., arriving on motorcycles through the busy weekly market in the border community near Adamawa State. They fired sporadically into the air, causing pandemonium among students, teachers, and residents before whisking away an unknown number of candidates into the surrounding bush. A teacher was confirmed dead during the assault, while another sustained gunshot injuries. Some unconfirmed reports from residents claimed two teachers and one female student may have been killed.

The Borno State Police Command confirmed the incident, stating that security operatives confronted the attackers to prevent a larger-scale abduction. According to police sources, an unspecified number of Boko Haram and ISWAP terrorists attacked the secondary school and shot sporadically into the air. During the attack, an unspecified number of students were abducted, while some are still missing. The Police Commissioner has deployed the Area Commander in Askira/Uba, who is currently coordinating a search-and-rescue operation with military personnel and the Civilian Joint Task Force combing the surrounding forests. The command could not immediately confirm reports of fatalities among the victims.

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Residents reported that the attackers wore military and forest guard uniforms and passed through a military checkpoint without detection. One eyewitness claimed that Nigerian military troops stationed in the area had left on a patrol to the nearby town of Uba, approximately 16 kilometers away, just before the insurgents struck. “The soldiers were not around when the terrorists invaded. They came in large numbers, firing sporadically and causing panic everywhere. They took away students writing NECO and their teachers,” a resident who fled the scene said. Lassa, though in Borno State, is predominantly inhabited by the Margi people, who are found in both Borno and Adamawa states. The town’s proximity to the Adamawa border has historically made it vulnerable to cross-border attacks.

The attack is the latest in a series of mass abductions targeting schools in Nigeria’s troubled North-East region. Since the infamous abduction of 276 Chibok schoolgirls in 2014, the mass kidnapping of students has become a recurring pattern, with over 1,680 students abducted across Nigeria over the years. Just last month, suspected Boko Haram terrorists attacked Mussa Primary and Junior Secondary School in Askira/Uba Local Government Area, abducting 42 students and pupils. That incident included four secondary school students, 28 primary school pupils, and 10 children abducted from their homes.

Terrorist groups such as Boko Haram and ISWAP have increasingly used mass abductions to assert dominance over the government and local communities. While Boko Haram primarily employs abductions as a tool of terror and intimidation, groups like ISWAP leverage kidnappings for strategic objectives, including generating revenue through ransom demands and bolstering their influence and power. For criminal groups, mass school abductions have become a commercialized industry—a lucrative, low-risk crime amid Nigeria’s multifaceted economic crisis. Perpetrators exploit weak state capacity and cross-border safe havens to abduct students and teachers for ransom.

As of press time, neither the Borno nor Adamawa State governments had released official statements on the attack, and no group had claimed responsibility. Efforts to ascertain the exact number of students and teachers abducted continue as security forces intensify search operations in the surrounding forests.

BREAKING: Gunmen Kill Teacher, Abduct Scores of Students in Borno School Attack