KEY POINTS
- NYSC promises to make changes that will have a bigger effect on the country’s progress.
- Conference promotes innovative strategies to address emerging challenges.
- NYSC as a catalyst for national development drives youth engagement.
The National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) signaled a readiness to implement reforms to strengthen its contribution to Nigeria’s national development, according to its Director General, Brig. Gen. OO Nafiu.
Speaking Monday at the opening of the 2026 NYSC Annual Management Conference in Jos, Plateau State, Nafiu outlined a vision for moving the scheme beyond symbolic nation-building toward measurable outcomes.
“He said the key question is no longer about relevance but about deliberate deployment, how we can systematically harness this collective energy, skill, and patriotism to tackle current challenges and create sustainable solutionsThe NYSC, which enrolls thousands of young Nigerians each year, is reviewing its systems to better align with population growth, security concerns, and technological advances.
NYSC plans reforms for national development impact
Furthermore, Nafiu stressed how important it is to keep changing and growing. Internal reviews done over the past year showed that there were problems with service delivery and operational efficiency. Management is now focusing on implementing changes to improve performance, strengthen systems, and keep the scheme up to date.
Conference participants were urged to share their experiences, review their current practices, and generate fresh ideas to drive improvement.
Nafiu called the NYSC a “unique pool of human capital” because of its large number of participants, yearly intake, and the fact that young Nigerians come from a wide range of academic and professional backgrounds.
Plateau State supports NYSC infrastructure expansion
Governor Caleb Mutfwang of Plateau State, through his deputy Josephine Piyo, praised the NYSC for playing an important role in the country’s growth. The governor also announced the renovation of the NYSC Orientation Camp in Mangu Local Government Area and the allocation of additional land for agricultural projects, saying the 2026 Batch ‘B’ Orientation Exercise would proceed at the upgraded facility.
Nafiu expressed appreciation to President Bola Tinubu and Mutfwang for their support, while also recognizing the Minister of Youth Development, Ayodele Olawande, for strategic guidance. The conference, titled ‘NYSC as a Catalyst for National Development: Tackling Present Challenges and Charting Sustainable Solutions,’ aims to develop actionable plans to improve the program and increase its impact.
