Contribute to NYSC Reformation, FG Urges Stakeholders 

Oghenevwede Ohwovoriole in Abuja 

In its bid to reform the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC), the Federal Government has called on stakeholders to make contributions towards the reformation of the scheme. 

The Minister of Youth Development, Ayodele Olawande, made the call at the opening ceremony of the 2025 Batch ‘A’ Pre-Mobilisation workshop on Thursday, in Abuja.

Olawande stated that as the nation progresses, there must be an improved  NYSC scheme to produce youth who can cope with current challenges facing the society.

“Reforming the core mobilisation is not a responsibility of a government alone. We call on all stakeholders jointly to contribute ideas different from what you’ve been contributing.

“As Nigeria progresses, we must continue to improve the scheme to meet the new demand. We must address the gap in developing the welfare and how the scheme can contribute to prepare our graduates for today’s job market not only to serve our father’s land anymore it is time we rethink, and strategize,” hecsaid.

The Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, who declared the workshop open, noted the contributions of corps members to the development of Abuja and urged participants to reform mobilisation process to suit our modern day challenges.

Speaking through the FCT Mandate Secretary for Youth, Ango Suleiman, the minister said: “The FCT Administration is proud to acknowledge that the giant strike in its achievement is attributable partly to the services of corps members deployed to serve in the Federal Capital Territory.

“As a reflection of the current mood of the scheme, the 2025 April mobilization workshop shall focus on reforming government-led mobilisation in the contemporary Nigerian society, challenges and prospects.”

The Director General, NYSC, Brig. Gen. Olakunle Nafiu, noted that: “Reforming the NYSC mobilisation process had become necessary in today’s Nigeria.

“I am happy to report that the NYSC management recognises that the world is changing rapidly and that the scheme must adapt its strategies to reflect the current realities.

“We understand that by leveraging technology, security partnerships, infrastructure investment and skills-based deployment, we can enhance efficiency, improve prospective and serving corps members’ experience, and sustain the scheme’s contributions to national development.” 

The Director, Corps Mobilisation, NYSC, Mohammed Abubakar, in his welcome address, noted that although the scheme had made so much progress in weeding out unqualified graduates from being mobilised, schools still upload unqualified graduates.

He said: “We have made remarkable progress in recent years, greatly reducing challenges, thanks to innovative approaches and better collaboration. 

“However, we still face serious issues, particularly concerning the fraudulent uploading of unqualified graduates, which we must address.”