• Super Admin
• 08 Mar, 2026

The Federal Government has approved an additional 50,000 mobilisation slots for the 2026 National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) programme in response to the growing number of Nigerian graduates awaiting enlistment into the national service scheme. The Director-General of the National Youth Service Corps, Olakunle Nafiu, disclosed this on Saturday in Abuja during the inauguration of the remodelled clinic at the scheme's National Directorate Headquarters. The event formed part of activities marking the first anniversary of Nafiu's assumption of office as the NYSC chief executive. According to a statement issued by the scheme's Director of Information and Public Relations, Caroline Embu, the additional mobilisation slots had already been incorporated into the NYSC's 2026 budget. Speaking at the event, Nafiu revealed that the scheme was planning to mobilise about 450,000 prospective corps members in 2026, while prioritising their safety during deployment. "This year, we are mobilising about 450,000 prospective Corps members and, as much as possible, we avoid deploying them to red zones," he said. He added, "We remain mindful because we owe parents the responsibility of safeguarding the lives of their children." Nafiu also disclosed that further provisions had been made in the Federal Government's 2027 budget cycle to improve corps members' welfare, including upgrades to their kits as well as enhanced feeding and transportation allowances. The NYSC DG explained that the remodelling and upgrade of the headquarters clinic formed part of his administration's broader efforts to improve staff welfare and enhance operational efficiency. He noted that several reforms had been implemented within the scheme over the past year to strengthen institutional capacity. Among these, he listed the successful conduct of the 2025 staff promotion exercise, which he said was designed to enhance career progression and improve staff morale. Nafiu added that peculiar allowances for staff were facilitated, retirement benefits were paid to disengaged personnel, and a recruitment exercise was conducted to strengthen the scheme's operational workforce. The NYSC boss further disclosed that the scheme had secured the donation of a Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) bus to enhance mobility for both staff and corps members. He added that the management was working to reposition the Skills Acquisition and Entrepreneurship Development programme through strategic collaborations. According to him, the scheme has partnered with the Enterprise Development Centre of Pan-Atlantic University to digitise the SAED platform. Nafiu also said the NYSC management had strengthened collaboration with the Nigerian Governors' Forum and the Association of Local Government Chairmen of Nigeria, among other stakeholders, to deepen support for the scheme. In his remarks, the Minister of Youth Development, Ayodele Olawande, who inaugurated the remodelled clinic, said the upgraded facility would significantly improve staff welfare and boost productivity. He assured that the ministry would continue to support the NYSC in achieving greater impact for Nigerian youths. "We are working to transform and reform the NYSC. We are doing everything possible to secure the future of our Corps members," the minister said. Olawande also advised corps members to avoid travelling at night due to security concerns. Source: https://www.naijanews.com/2026/03/08/fg-creates-50000-extra-nysc-slots-as-graduate-backlog-grows/