Tinubu approves additional 50,000 NYSC mobilisation slots for 2026

President Bola Tinubu has approved the mobilisation of an additional 50,000 graduates for the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) in 2026, according to the scheme’s Director-General, Olakunle Nafiu.

Nafiu announced the decision on Friday in Abuja during the commissioning of a remodelled clinic at the NYSC headquarters, an event marking his first year in office.

He said the approval, captured in the 2026 budget, is intended to reduce the backlog of graduates waiting to participate in the national service programme.

According to him, the additional slots respond to concerns from prospective corps members over prolonged waiting periods before mobilisation.

With the new approval, NYSC plans to mobilise about 418,000 corps members in 2026.

Nafiu said the scheme has expanded significantly since it began operations in 1973, largely due to the growth in the number of tertiary institutions across the country.

He noted that fewer than a dozen institutions produced corps members in the early 1970s, allowing the scheme to mobilise only 2,364 participants in its first set. Today, more than 400 institutions produce roughly 600,000 graduates annually.

However, he explained that not all graduates are mobilised each year. Some receive exemptions, while professionals such as medical doctors and lawyers complete additional training before participating in the programme.

Nafiu added that NYSC now operates an automated system that regulates mobilisation and deployment. Under the system, graduates who miss a mobilisation cycle remain in the pool until earlier candidates have been cleared.

He also attributed some mobilisation delays to institutions that fail to upload Senate-approved graduation lists to the NYSC portal on time.

In other cases, prospective corps members decline mobilisation after being posted to particular states, which can further affect the process.

On security, Nafiu said the scheme avoids deploying corps members to high-risk areas. Where deployment to such states is necessary, participants are restricted to state capitals and major cities.

“We are parents ourselves and cannot toy with other people’s children,” he said, adding that the safety of corps members remains a priority.

Earlier at the event, the Minister of Youth Development, Ayodele Olawande, commended Nafiu’s leadership, saying the renovation of the clinic demonstrated a focus on staff and corps member welfare.

Olawande also urged corps members to avoid travelling at night, citing security concerns. He said the federal government is considering additional protective measures, including insurance coverage for corps members.

The NYSC scheme was established in 1973 to promote national unity by deploying Nigerian graduates to states outside their places of origin.