FG Extends NYSC Camp to Six Weeks

The Federal Government has approved a major overhaul of the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC), extending the orientation camp programme from three weeks to six weeks as part of wide-ranging reforms aimed at repositioning the scheme.

As part of the changes, military drills and parade activities during the orientation camp have been scrapped entirely.

The traditional Passing Out Parade held at the end of the one-year service will also be replaced with a graduation ceremony.

The reforms are designed to make the NYSC more skills-driven and better equipped to prepare corps members for the workforce and entrepreneurship.

The government has also approved a redesigned NYSC uniform intended to reflect professionalism and give the scheme a renewed identity.

The changes form part of a broader plan to modernise the NYSC and align it with the country’s economic and youth development objectives.

Some of the landmark reforms include a technology-driven call-up process, risk-sensitive deployment to better protect corps members, and a redesigned six-week orientation programme with a stronger focus on leadership, entrepreneurship, digital skills, and specialised career streams.

Other reforms include skills-based primary assignments aligned with academic background and career pathways, modern governance with civilian operational leadership while the military continues to provide security support, and improved camp standards through a national grading and certification system.

Speaking further on the reform, the Special Adviser to President Tinubu on Policy Coordination, Hadiza Bala Usman, revealed that the NYSC orientation camp would now be restructured into three distinct phases.

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.

The final two weeks will provide specialised training based on each corps member’s chosen career stream.

Under the new framework, corps members will select one of 11 newly created specialised streams upon registration and will receive specialised training throughout the orientation programme to prepare them for future employment and national service.

The 11 specialised streams are 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.

Usman explained that the specialised streams will equip graduates with practical skills tailored to their academic backgrounds, career interests, and the country’s workforce needs.

She also noted that the reforms include a review of deployment procedures, including how corps members are posted across states, with greater consideration given to prevailing security realities.