President Bola Tinubu has approved the mobilisation of an additional 50,000 graduates for the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) programme in 2026.
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 scheme’s headquarters as part of activities marking his first year in office.
According to him, the approval is aimed at addressing the backlog of graduates awaiting mobilisation and reducing delays in the national service process.
“Government listens and acts when people bring up issues that are in their name.
“In response to this agitation, this issue of long waits for mobilisation, Mr President, in the 2026 budget approved an additional 50,000 corps members for mobilisation,” he said.
Nafiu noted that the NYSC scheme has expanded considerably since it was established in 1973. With the newly approved figure, the organisation plans to mobilise about 418,000 corps members in 2026.
He explained that the growth in mobilisation reflects the increasing number of tertiary institutions across the country.
“We started with less than 10 or 12 corps-producing institutions in 1972, and from that we were able to mobilise 2,364 corps members.
“Today we have over 400 corps-producing institutions turning out around 600,000 graduates yearly,” he said.
The NYSC boss clarified that not all graduates are mobilised each year, noting that some receive exemptions while others, including professionals like doctors and lawyers, must complete additional training before participating in the scheme.
He added that the NYSC currently operates an automated system to manage mobilisation and deployment.
“So when you don’t go to camp, the system we operate is automated. It will not mobilise you until that pool is depleted,” he explained.
Nafiu further attributed some of the delays experienced by prospective corps members to the failure of institutions to upload Senate-approved graduation lists to the NYSC portal on time.
He also revealed that some graduates decline mobilisation after being posted to certain states.
According to him, the scheme avoids deploying corps members to areas considered unsafe.
“As much as possible, we do not deploy corps members to red zones, and even when corps members go to such states, they are restricted to state capitals and major cities,” Nafiu said.
He emphasised that the safety and welfare of corps members remain a top priority for the scheme.
“We are parents ourselves and we cannot toy with other people’s children.
“We owe parents that responsibility of securing the lives of their children,” he said.
Earlier, the Minister of Youth Development, Mr Ayodele Olawande, praised Nafiu’s leadership, describing his first year in office as impactful.
Olawande said the renovation of the clinic demonstrated the management’s commitment to improving the welfare of both staff and corps members.
“You can see today that one of those priorities has been the welfare of the staff and those working in this headquarters.
“It has been paramount to him to have a truly functional clinic,” he said.
The minister also addressed security concerns affecting corps members and advised them against travelling at night.
“We may not be where we want to be, even as a country or as an agency, but we are working towards it and doing everything possible to secure our corps members,” he said.
He further revealed that the Federal Government was exploring additional safety measures, including insurance coverage, to strengthen protection for corps members.
“I have said it and I will keep saying it, please do not travel at night.
“Travel when you can see and we can see ourselves so that we can minimise these incidents,” he said.
The NYSC clinic was remodelled as part of ongoing initiatives to enhance welfare services at the scheme’s headquarters.
PlatinumPost reports that the NYSC was established in 1973 to promote national unity by deploying Nigerian graduates to serve in states other than their states of origin.
