***Says NYSC Has Recorded More Females Corps Members Since 2021
By Miriam Humbe
The Director General of the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC), Brigadier General Olakunle Nafiu, has urged Corps Members to take advantage of the Scheme’s Skill Acquisition and Entrepreneurship Development (SAED) programme as a platform for acquiring relevant vocational and entrepreneurial skills that would prepare them for self-reliance and productive engagement after their service year.
Caroline Embu, the Director, Information and Public Relations disclosed this in a statement.
He further charged them to regard the service year as an opportunity to develop their leadership abilities, broaden their experience and contribute meaningfully to national development.
General Nafiu gave the charge while addressing Corps Members deployed to Oyo State for the 2026 Batch ‘C’ Stream II service year at the NYSC Permanent Orientation Camp, Iseyin.
General Nafiu also highlighted the increasing number of graduates being mobilised annually by the Scheme, noting that the development had placed additional pressure on its financial resources and existing infrastructure, particularly accommodation, healthcare, transportation and other welfare facilities.
He, however, assured the Corps Members that NYSC Management remained committed to improving their welfare and creating opportunities for them to acquire skills that would enhance their economic independence
The Director General also disclosed that female graduates had consistently outnumbered their male counterparts in the Scheme’s mobilisation figures since 2021 marking a significant shift from the trend that had prevailed since the establishment of the NYSC in 1973.
He explained that male graduates had dominated the mobilisation statistics until 2020, when the pattern began to change, with women taking the lead from the following year.
He cited statistics from the NYSC ICT Department, which shows that a total of 167,840 female Corps Members were mobilised in 2021, compared with 152,052 males. In 2022, the figures stood at 159,330 females and 143,872 males.
General Nafiu attributed the development to improved access to education for women, increased investment in girl-child education and the growing participation of females in tertiary education across the country.
He noted that the trend reflected the impact of sustained interventions by successive governments and international development initiatives, particularly the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) and Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), which placed emphasis on girl-child education and gender equality.
The Director-General’s observed that the changing demographic composition of the nation’s graduate population had important implications for the future workforce, urging policymakers, employers and other stakeholders to take cognisance of the development.
He particularly stressed the need for workplace policies and welfare provisions that adequately address the needs of women, including maternity benefits and childcare support.
The NYSC Oyo State Coordinator, Mr. Kayode Ola-Peters, disclosed that 4,547 prospective Corps Members had registered for the 2026 Batch ‘C’ Stream II Orientation Course in the state,.
He commended the Corps Members for their discipline, enthusiasm and active participation in camp activities, describing their conduct since the commencement of the orientation exercise as exemplary.
