The Federal Government has formed a new committee to reform the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC). This committee will look closely at how the NYSC works and suggest ways to improve it so that it better supports Nigeria’s growth and development.

This update came from a press release by Omolara Esan, the Director of Public Relations at the Federal Ministry of Youth Development, on Tuesday, May 6. Esan explained that the main goal is to fix any weaknesses in the NYSC and make it more useful for young Nigerians.

At the event in Abuja where the committee was launched, the Minister of Youth Development, Ayodele Olawande, praised the NYSC for its past achievements. He said the programme has helped bring the country together and supported youth empowerment since it started in 1973. However, he said the time has come to update it to meet today’s challenges.

Olawande pointed out problems like the safety of corps members, lack of facilities, and questions about how relevant the programme is today. He said these problems are also opportunities to make big changes that can improve the NYSC.

The reform committee will review the entire NYSC setup, including its rules and funding. They will also speak with key stakeholders and suggest updates to the NYSC law and how it operates.

At the event, Minister of Education Tunji Alausa suggested starting special service programmes for teaching and health. These would include a teachers’ corps for NCE holders and a medical corps for health workers. These new ideas aim to improve services in rural areas where help is most needed.

Hadiza Bala Usman, a special adviser to the president, added that technical and vocational training should be part of school education. She said this would give young people the skills they need to make a real impact in the country.

The reform committee will submit its report to the Ministry of Youth Development within a set period.