ABUJA, Nigeria – The Minister for Youth Development, Comrade Ayodele Olawande, has inaugurated the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) Staff E-Training Portal, reiterating the Federal Government’s commitment to modernising the Scheme through digital infrastructure and technology-driven capacity building, the ministry announced in Abuja on Monday, September 14, 2026.
Olawande officially launched the digital learning portal during the opening ceremony of the NYSC 2026 Batch ‘C’ Pre-Orientation Workshop, commending the scheme’s management for pioneering administrative innovations that optimize service delivery, streamline operations, and expand knowledge access across its nationwide workforce.
Okay News reports that the minister emphasized that continuous institutional support from the Federal Ministry of Youth Development remains guaranteed, urging personnel across all directorates to embrace digital tools to elevate productivity and transparency.
“This platform would also help to build more efficient, knowledgeable and responsive workforce,” Olawande said. “We are committed towards making the Scheme get better, let us work together and embrace technology.”
Addressing the shifting dynamics of the national labour market, the minister cautioned that relying solely on conventional university degrees is no longer sufficient to guarantee economic independence or resolve youth unemployment, charging administrators to ensure the service year delivers transformative, experiential learning.
“Our Corps Members must learn practical skills in leadership, entrepreneurship, critical thinking, and problem-solving,” Olawande stated. “They must also understand the importance of discipline, integrity, and personal responsibility. Every Corps Member must be encouraged to make meaningful impact.”
The minister reaffirmed that the Skills Acquisition and Entrepreneurship Development (SAED) programme remains the most vital curricular component within the scheme, urging stakeholders to channel resources into sustainable venture creation for graduating youths.
Speaking at the workshop, the Director General of the NYSC, Brigadier General Olakunle Oluseye Nafiu, observed that evolving social, economic, and security dynamics make it imperative for the Scheme to constantly interrogate and recalibrate its orientation course modules.
Brigadier General Nafiu explained that the workshop theme, “Reimagining the NYSC Orientation Course: Building Resilient, Responsible and Service-Oriented Corps Members for a Changing World,” was purposefully selected to re-engineer corps members’ mindset, ethical values, and civic awareness before their deployment to places of primary assignment.
The director general stressed that operational success hinges upon cross-sectoral collaboration, assuring that management will maintain active tactical engagements with the armed forces, the police, and intelligence agencies to evaluate threats, take preemptive security measures, and guarantee the personal safety and welfare of all corps members nationwide.
In his introductory remarks, the Director of Planning, Research and Statistics, Mr. Nura Umar, commended Olawande’s commitment to youth advancement, emphasizing that camp orientation remains the formative gateway of national service where civic responsibility and discipline are inculcated.
Umar urged delegates to formulate actionable resolutions that modernize camp methodologies, improve welfare standards, reinforce camp administration, and expand vocational incubation to keep the scheme responsive to contemporary national realities.
