By Nkechi Eze
The Director-General of the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC), Brigadier General Olakunle Nafiu, has called for greater investment in youth entrepreneurship and workplace reforms to accommodate the changing demographic composition of Nigeria’s graduate population, particularly the increasing number of female graduates.
Nafiu made the call while addressing Corps Members deployed to Oyo State for the 2026 Batch ‘C’ Stream II orientation exercise at the NYSC Permanent Orientation Camp, Iseyin.
He urged the Corps Members to take advantage of the Scheme’s Skill Acquisition and Entrepreneurship Development (SAED) programme to acquire vocational and entrepreneurial skills that would prepare them for economic independence and productive engagement after their service year.
The NYSC boss also encouraged them to use the service year to develop leadership abilities, broaden their experiences and contribute meaningfully to national development.
Speaking on the changing gender composition of the Scheme’s mobilisation figures, Nafiu disclosed that female graduates had consistently outnumbered their male counterparts since 2021, marking a departure from the trend that had existed since the establishment of the NYSC in 1973.
According to statistics from the Scheme’s Information and Communication Technology Department, 167,840 female Corps Members were mobilised in 2021, compared with 152,052 males, while the 2022 figures stood at 159,330 females and 143,872 males.
He explained that male graduates had maintained the lead in mobilisation figures until 2020, when the pattern began to change, with women taking the lead from the following year.
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 said successive government interventions and international development initiatives, particularly the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) and Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), had contributed to advancing female education and promoting gender equality.
The Director-General stressed that the changing trend had important implications for Nigeria’s future workforce, urging policymakers, employers and other stakeholders to factor the development into their policies and institutional planning.
He particularly advocated workplace policies and welfare provisions that adequately address the needs of women, including maternity benefits and childcare support.
On the growing number of graduates mobilised annually, Nafiu acknowledged the additional pressure on the Scheme’s financial resources and infrastructure, especially accommodation, healthcare, transportation and other welfare facilities.
He, however, assured Corps Members that the NYSC management remained committed to improving their welfare while creating more opportunities for skills acquisition and entrepreneurship.
Earlier, 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.
