President Bola Tinubu has approved the mobilisation of an additional 50,000 graduates for the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) in 2026 as part of efforts to reduce the backlog of prospective corps members.
The Director-General of the NYSC, Brig.-Gen. Olakunle Nafiu, disclosed this on Friday in Abuja during the commissioning of a remodelled clinic at the NYSC headquarters to mark his one year in office.
Nafiu explained that the approval, captured in the 2026 budget, was aimed at addressing the long wait many graduates experience before being mobilised for national service.
According to him, the increase will raise the scheme’s mobilisation target to about 418,000 corps members in 2026.
He noted that the NYSC has expanded significantly since its establishment in 1973, when fewer than a dozen institutions produced only 2,364 corps members in the programme’s first year.
Today, he said, Nigeria has over 400 corps-producing institutions graduating about 600,000 students annually, making the mobilisation process more complex.
Nafiu also explained that not all graduates are mobilised immediately because some receive exemptions, while professionals such as medical doctors and lawyers must complete additional training before participating in the scheme.
He added that the NYSC now operates an automated mobilisation system, which ensures that graduates who miss a batch remain in the system until their turn comes.
The Director-General attributed some delays in mobilisation to tertiary institutions that fail to upload Senate-approved graduation lists to the NYSC portal on time.
He also noted that some graduates decline mobilisation after being posted to certain states.
On security, Nafiu said the scheme avoids deploying corps members to high-risk areas, adding that those posted to states with security concerns are usually restricted to state capitals and major cities.
“We are parents ourselves and cannot toy with other people’s children. We have a responsibility to ensure the safety of corps members,” he said.
Meanwhile, the Minister of Youth Development, Ayodele Olawande, commended Nafiu for what he described as impactful leadership within his first year in office.
Olawande said the remodelled clinic demonstrates the NYSC leadership’s commitment to the welfare of both staff and corps members.
He also advised corps members to avoid travelling at night due to security concerns, while noting that the Federal Government is exploring additional measures, including insurance coverage, to further protect them.
The NYSC was established in 1973 to promote national unity by deploying Nigerian graduates to serve in states outside their places of origin.
