President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has approved the mobilisation of an additional 50,000 eligible graduates into the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) scheme for the 2026 service year.
The Director-General of the scheme, Olakunle Nafiu, made the disclosure on Friday in Abuja during the commissioning of a newly remodelled clinic at the NYSC national headquarters.
The event formed part of activities marking his one year in office as head of the organisation.
Nafiu explained that the presidential approval was included in the 2026 national budget and was aimed at reducing the backlog of graduates waiting to participate in the mandatory national service programme.
According to him, the move followed persistent concerns from graduates about delays in mobilisation.
With the additional quota, the NYSC plans to mobilise about 418,000 corps members in 2026.
Nafiu noted that the expansion reflects the steady growth in the number of tertiary institutions and graduates across the country.
He recalled that when the scheme started in 1973, fewer than a dozen institutions produced graduates eligible for national service, leading to the mobilisation of just over two thousand corps members at the time.
In contrast, Nigeria now has more than 400 institutions producing approximately 600,000 graduates annually.
The NYSC chief further explained that not every graduate is mobilised each year because some individuals receive exemptions from service, while certain professionals such as medical doctors and lawyers are required to complete additional professional training before being deployed for national service.
He also disclosed that the scheme currently operates an automated mobilisation and deployment system, which determines when prospective corps members are called up for service.
According to him, the system ensures that those who miss a mobilisation cycle remain in the pool until they are selected in a subsequent batch.
Nafiu attributed some of the delays experienced by prospective corps members to the failure of certain institutions to upload their Senate-approved graduation lists on the NYSC portal within the required timeframe.
He added that in some cases, graduates also decline mobilisation when they are posted to particular states.
On security issues, the Director-General said the scheme prioritises the safety of corps members and avoids deploying them to areas considered high-risk. Where deployment to such states becomes necessary, corps members are usually assigned to safer locations such as state capitals and major urban centres.
He stressed that the welfare and safety of corps members remain a top priority for the NYSC management, noting that the scheme recognises its responsibility to parents whose children participate in the programme.
Also speaking at the event, the Minister of Youth Development, Ayodele Olawande, commended Nafiu for his leadership within his first year in office.
The minister described the renovation of the clinic at the NYSC headquarters as a demonstration of the management’s commitment to improving the welfare of staff and corps members.
Olawande also addressed recent security concerns involving corps members and advised them to avoid travelling at night in order to reduce exposure to security risks.
He added that the Federal Government is considering additional measures, including improved insurance coverage, to enhance the protection of corps members across the country.
The NYSC scheme was established in 1973 to promote national unity and integration by deploying Nigerian graduates to serve in states outside their places of origin.
NAN