The Federal Government has begun the process of overhauling the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) Act, unveiling a proposed N2 billion innovation fund to support the digital transformation of the scheme.
Special Adviser to the President on Policy and Coordination and Head of the Central Results Delivery Coordination Unit (CRDCU), Hadiza Bala Usman, disclosed this on Monday at the NYSC Reform Stakeholders’ Consultative Engagement Forum organised by the review committee in Abuja.
Bala Usman said the existing NYSC Act is outdated and no longer aligned with modern digital demands.
“The NYSC Act is obsolete and inadequate for digital-enabled administration, gender inclusion safeguards, cybersecurity or remote service options. The NYSC Act was last substantively reviewed in 1993, long before the digital age, the Fourth Industrial Revolution, and the new demands of our economy,” she said.
She explained that the reform committee has proposed “far-reaching, transformative recommendations,” including:
“A comprehensive amendment of the NYSC Act to provide for digital service, co-funding by states and local governments, gender and security-responsive deployment, and explicit employer obligations.”
“Creation of a ₦2 billion NYSC Innovation Fund to support digital systems, entrepreneurial development, and innovation partnerships.”
“Deployment of a Unified Digital Command and Service Platform to integrate mobilisation, posting, payments, monitoring, and feedback.”
“A redesigned Skill Acquisition and Entrepreneurship Development model built around zonal innovation hubs to improve labour-market readiness.”
According to her, the proposed reform will follow a phased implementation from 2026 to 2028, beginning with legislative amendments and digital pilot programmes in 2026, before transitioning into a nationwide deployment model and improved post-service support system by 2028.
Also speaking at the event, Minister of Youth Development, Ayodele Olawande, stressed the need to align corps members’ deployment with their academic and professional skills.
“We must review the current existing system to connect the Corps members with the skills area. There is still a lot of work to do because we still find Corps members in places that are not related to the academic and professional trades. And as a result of this, we miss the opportunity to place many of our skilled youth to where they belong in the national service,” he said.
“We stand ready to work with all partners. We are committed, and we believe we can do it, to make sure that the outcome of this reform is practical, is impactful, and also connects the national development,” he added.
In his remarks, NYSC Director-General, Brig. Gen. Olakunle Nafiu, underscored the critical role of corps members across the federation.
“No state can survive today without NYSC. We saved some states up to the tune of N30–40 billion annually when we replaced members. FCT, for instance, gets about 400 doctors from NYSC annually. There is no way that a doctor is recruited in one year. Same goes for Lagos State and other states of the federation,” he said.
