ABUJA, Nigeria — Public affairs analyst Oluwadara Akingbohungbe called for the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) orientation program to prioritize comprehensive national orientation, personal development, and self-discovery over traditional technical certifications to ensure graduate readiness for the modern labor market.
Golden Info reports that Oluwadara Akingbohungbe made these remarks during a live interview session on New Frontiers Television on Tuesday, June 30, 2026. The analysis followed a federal policy review extending the 53-year-old national youth service scheme from its traditional three-week program to a restructured six-week orientation schedule.
The policy overhaul introduces 11 specialized training streams for participating graduates. The newly established tracks cover agriculture, medical services, education, technology, legal affairs, public service, infrastructure, green economy, enterprise, creative economy, and a paramilitary and security core.
Addressing the structural shifting of the program, Akingbohungbe stressed that the underlying objective must align with the practical demands of prospective employers. He stated, “the labor market is not asking show me your certificates the labor market is asking what can you do”.
The administrative adjustments replace the long-standing military leadership of the camps with civilian administrators, reassigning military personnel strictly to provide external security. The policy also transitions the final deployment phase from a traditional passing-out parade into a formal graduation ceremony.
The Federal Government of Nigeria stated that the capacity-building changes are projected to support the national transition toward a $1 trillion economy. The proposed legislative amendments have been forwarded to the Attorney General of the Federation to establish legal backing for the implementation framework.