NYSC Trust Fund Bill Awaits Presidential Assent as Reps Promise Innovation Hub

National Youth Service Corps (NYSC)

NYSC Trust Fund Bill Awaits Presidential Assent as Reps Promise Innovation Hub

The National Assembly has passed the NYSC Trust Fund bill into law, awaiting Presidential assent, in a move aimed at transforming the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) into a wealth creation and innovation development hub for young Nigerian graduates. The legislation seeks to provide sustainable funding for infrastructure, skill acquisition, and access to capital for corps members after service.

The National Assembly says it is determined to transform the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) into a wealth creation and innovation development hub for young Nigerian graduates. Chairman of the House of Representatives Committee on Youth Development, Martin Esin, disclosed this when he led members of the committee on an oversight visit to the NYSC Orientation Camp in Port Harcourt. To actualise this, the National Assembly has passed into law the NYSC Trust Fund bill.

Esin said the bill, which is currently awaiting Presidential assent, would help improve infrastructure and operational capacity of the scheme, support training and retraining of corps members in skill acquisition, and facilitate access to capital for corps members after service. He said that when assented to by the President, the trust fund would represent one of the most significant reforms in the history of the NYSC and will transform the scheme from primarily being a platform for national service into a scheme meant for wealth creation, enterprise development, and youth empowerment.

According to the lawmaker, the NYSC has for over five decades remained a bridge across cultures, regions, faiths and ethnic divides, helping to strengthen national cohesion and mutual understanding among Nigerians. He commended the Director-General and staff of the scheme for their professionalism and sacrifice in organising and managing orientation camps across the country, often in difficult circumstances, ensuring the successful orientation of thousands of corps members.

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While congratulating the corps members for their successful graduation and mobilisation for national service, Esin said, “You represent some of the brightest hopes of our country. At a time when the country is navigating economic reforms, technological transformation, and evolving security challenges, the role of young Nigerians in shaping the future has never been in doubt.” He noted that it is as a result of this that the 10th House of Representatives placed youth development at the centre of its legislative agenda, informed by the reality that a nation that invests in its young people is investing in the future. Across several sectors, the House has continued to support ideas aimed at expanding opportunities for education, skill acquisition, innovation, employment, and social cohesion for young graduates.

Esin disclosed that the 10th National Assembly has consistently supported measures aimed at improving the welfare of members of the NYSC. One of such supports is the upward review of corps members’ allowance to N77,000 in line with the national minimum wage. He expressed belief that this increase will significantly encourage corps members to discharge their responsibilities diligently.

The NYSC Trust Fund bill previously faced constitutional hurdles regarding its funding structure. The initial proposal to create a fund operating independently from the Federation Account was deemed unconstitutional under Section 162 of the 1999 Constitution, which stipulates that all revenues must be deposited into the Consolidated Revenue Fund of the Federation. Following a motion for re-committal, the Senate amended the conflicting clause, ensuring compliance with constitutional requirements before sending it for Presidential assent.

The proposed NYSC Trust Fund seeks to provide sustainable funding for the scheme to improve infrastructure and operational capacity, support training and retraining of corps members in skill acquisition, facilitate access to capital for corps members after service, and generally strengthen the capacity of the scheme to contribute effectively to national development. The existing Skills Acquisition and Entrepreneurship Development (SAED) programme, which the Trust Fund would bolster, already provides free practical skills training in over 20 vocational and entrepreneurial tracks to corps members during orientation camp and throughout the service year. Tracks include software development, AI and mobile app development, fashion design, food processing, solar energy installation, agribusiness, and photography, among others. The programme also offers access to SAED business grants, startup kits, mentorship, and the NYSC-BOI ₦2 billion MSME loan facility.

The NYSC Director-General, Brigadier General Olakunle Nafiu, has also appealed for public support for the Trust Fund, noting that it would enable the scheme to expand its SAED programme and increase job creation by empowering Corps Members with startup capital. He highlighted that the SAED initiative has already trained over 1.3 million young graduates in vocational skills between 2019 and 2025.

Esin reminded corps members that they also occupy an important position in Nigeria’s democratic process, as many of them will be called upon by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to be part of the conduct of the 2027 general elections.