The Federal Government has tasked the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) with equipping young graduates with practical skills, leadership abilities and entrepreneurial knowledge, saying academic qualifications alone can no longer address the challenge of unemployment.
Ayodele Olawande, Minister of Youth Development, said this while inaugurating the NYSC Staff E-Training Portal during the 2026 Batch ‘C’ Pre-Orientation Workshop in Abuja.
Olawande said the changing nature of the global economy required the NYSC to prepare corps members with competencies beyond academic certificates to improve their employability and ability to contribute to national development.
‘Academic qualifications alone cannot solve the problems of unemployment,’ the minister said.
He stressed the need for corps members to acquire practical skills in leadership, entrepreneurship, critical thinking and problem-solving.
He added that discipline, integrity and personal responsibility should also form a critical part of the training of corps members, urging stakeholders to encourage young graduates to make meaningful contributions to society.
According to a statement signed by Caroline Embu, Director, Information and Public information, the minister described the Skills Acquisition and Entrepreneurship Development (SAED) programme as the most important content in the NYSC at present, underscoring the need to strengthen skills development during the service year.
He also commended the NYSC leadership for introducing innovations aimed at improving efficiency, particularly the staff e-training platform.
According to him, the technology-driven initiative would improve staff access to knowledge while building a more efficient, knowledgeable and responsive workforce.
‘This platform would also help to build more efficient, knowledgeable and responsive workforce. We are committed towards making the Scheme get better, let us work together and embrace technology,’ Olawande said.
He said the government would continue to support the NYSC as part of efforts to strengthen youth development and make the service year more productive for young Nigerians.
The minister further said the service year should provide graduates with an opportunity to serve, lead and contribute to national development, rather than merely constitute a compulsory period of national service.
Also speaking, Olakunle Nafiu, director general of the NYSC, said changing societal conditions had made it necessary for the scheme to regularly review its Orientation Course content to keep it relevant.
Nafiu said the theme of the workshop, ‘Reimagining the NYSC Orientation Course: Building Resilient, Responsible and Service-Oriented Corps Members for a Changing World,’ was designed to reshape the character, mindset, skills and civic awareness of corps members.
He said the success of the Orientation Course depended largely on effective collaboration among stakeholders, particularly in ensuring the security and welfare of corps members.
‘I encourage everyone to keep building the partnership and trust needed for the security and welfare of Corps Members wherever they are posted across the country,’ he said.
The NYSC boss said management remained committed to working with security agencies to assess risks, take pre-emptive measures and ensure the safety of corps members throughout their service year.
Nura Umar, Director of Planning, Research and Statistics at the NYSC, said the orientation camp represents the first major contact between corps members and the scheme and therefore provides an important opportunity to shape their character, values and understanding of national responsibility.
Umar called for the modernisation of the contents, methodology and delivery of the Orientation Exercise to reflect contemporary realities.
He urged participants at the workshop to develop strategies for deepening stakeholder collaboration, particularly around the welfare and safety of corps members, camp administration, discipline, leadership development and the strengthening of SAED.
The workshop is expected to provide recommendations for improving the NYSC Orientation Course and ensuring that corps members are better equipped to navigate changing economic and social realities during and after their service year.