By Daniel Oluwatobiloba Popoola
The Director-General, National Youth Service Corps (NYSC), Brig.-Gen. Olakunle Nafiu, says President Bola Tinubu has approved the mobilisation of an additional 50,000 eligible graduates for the scheme in 2026.
Nafiu disclosed this on Friday, 6 March, 2026 in Abuja during the commissioning of a remodelled clinic at the NYSC headquarters to mark his one year in office, explaining that the approval was captured in the 2026 budget to address delays in mobilisation and expand opportunities for graduates awaiting national service.
He said the decision followed growing concerns over the long waiting period experienced by prospective corps members before mobilisation.
“Government listens and acts when people bring up issues that are in their name,” Nafiu said.
“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.”
The Director-General explained that the scheme had expanded significantly since its establishment in 1973 and that the new approval would raise the total number of corps members expected to be mobilised in 2026 to 418,000.
He noted that the increase reflected the steady growth in the 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,” he said.
“Today we have over 400 corps-producing institutions turning out around 600,000 graduates yearly.”
Nafiu, however, clarified that not all graduates are eligible for mobilisation annually, noting that some receive exemptions, while professionals such as medical doctors and lawyers undergo additional training before mobilisation.
He further explained that the scheme currently operates an automated system that regulates mobilisation and deployment processes.
“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 said.
According to him, some of the delays experienced by prospective corps members stem from tertiary institutions failing to upload Senate-approved lists of graduates on the NYSC portal within the required timeframe.
He also pointed out that certain graduates sometimes decline mobilisation after being posted to specific states.
Nafiu stressed that the safety of corps members remained a major priority for the scheme, adding that NYSC deliberately avoids deploying them to high-risk locations.
“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,” he said.
He added that the management remained committed to safeguarding corps members nationwide.
“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, Ayodele Olawande, commended Nafiu for what he described as impactful leadership within his first year in office.
Olawande said the renovation of the clinic demonstrated the NYSC leadership’s commitment to 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,” he said. “It has been paramount to him to have a truly functional clinic.”
The Minister also addressed recent security concerns involving corps members and urged them to avoid 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.
Olawande further disclosed that the Federal Government was considering additional protective measures, including insurance coverage, to strengthen the safety of 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 initiatives aimed at improving welfare services at the scheme’s headquarters.
The NYSC scheme was established in 1973 to promote national unity and integration by deploying Nigerian graduates to serve in states other than their states of origin.
Source: NAN
