President Bola Tinubu has approved the mobilisation of an additional 50,000 eligible graduates for the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) in 2026 as part of efforts to address delays faced by prospective corps members.

The Director-General of the NYSC, Brig.-Gen. Olakunle Nafiu, disclosed this on Friday in Abuja during the commissioning of a remodelled clinic at the NYSC headquarters to mark his first year in office.

Nafiu said the approval, captured in the 2026 budget, followed growing concerns over the long waiting period many graduates experience before being mobilised for national service.

“Government listens and acts when people bring up issues that are in their name,” he said.

“In response to this agitation over long waits for mobilisation, Mr President approved an additional 50,000 corps members for mobilisation in the 2026 budget.”

According to him, the scheme plans to mobilise about 418,000 corps members in 2026, reflecting the steady growth in the number of tertiary institutions across the country.

He noted that the NYSC scheme began in 1973 with fewer than 12 corps-producing institutions and only 2,364 corps members in its first batch.

“Today we have over 400 corps-producing institutions turning out around 600,000 graduates yearly,” Nafiu said.

The NYSC boss explained that not all graduates are mobilised each year because some are granted exemptions, while professionals such as medical doctors and lawyers must complete additional training before participating in the programme.

He also said the scheme operates an automated mobilisation system that regulates the process and ensures that eligible graduates are called up once the existing pool is exhausted.

Nafiu attributed some delays in mobilisation to institutions failing to upload Senate-approved lists on the NYSC portal on time, while noting that some graduates decline mobilisation after being posted to certain states.

He added that the scheme avoids deploying corps members to high-risk areas.

“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 assured parents that the management remains committed to the safety and welfare of 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,” Nafiu said.

Earlier, the Minister of Youth Development, Ayodele Olawande, commended the NYSC Director-General for what he described as impactful leadership within his first year in office.

Olawande said the newly remodelled clinic at the headquarters reflects the leadership’s commitment to improving the welfare of staff and corps members.

The minister also advised corps members to avoid travelling at night, citing security concerns in parts of the country.

“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 scheme was established in 1973 to promote national unity by deploying Nigerian graduates to serve in states other than their states of origin.