By Imoleayo Oyedeyi

The federal executive council (FEC) on Monday approved sweeping reforms for the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) in a bid to strengthen the efficiency of the scheme.

Ayodele Olawande, minister of youth development, said after the weekly FEC meeting, the council maintained the scheme’s one‑year duration and introduced seven major reforms which include digitalisation and change of leadership structure from military to civilians, and a redesigned NYSC uniform.

Speaking on the approved reforms, Hadiza Bala Usman, special adviser on policy coordination to the president, said the orientation programme will be restructured into three distinct phases to better prepare youth corps members for national service and future careers.

She said the first two weeks will focus on civic responsibility, national values, leadership development, and nation-building, while the second phase will centre on career mapping, financial literacy, business planning, entrepreneurship, and access to finance.

According to her, during the final two weeks, corps members will undergo specialised training aligned with their chosen career paths.

Under the new framework, every NYSC member will select one of 11 newly created specialised streams during registration.

They will then receive targeted training throughout the orientation programme to equip them with practical skills and enhance their employability.

Below are the 11 specialised streams:

1. Agric Corps

2. Medical Corps

3. Education Corps

4. Tech and Digital Corps

5. Legal Corps

6. Public Service Corps

7. Infrastructure Corps

8. Green Corps

9. Enterprise Corps

10. Creative Economy Corps

11. Paramilitary and Security Corps

Source: TheCable