Nearly two months after President Bola Tinubu pledged automatic employment to 210 former members of the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC), beneficiaries say the promise has not been fulfilled.
The commitment was announced in a ceremony honouring the ex-corps members, held on July 29 in Abuja. In a statement afterwards, the NYSC said the President had approved automatic employment in the Federal Civil Service, scholarships at the doctoral level within Nigeria, and cash awards of ₦250,000 each.
According to the NYSC, the recipients included 200 who distinguished themselves during national service between 2020 and 2023, as well as 10 who sustained life-changing injuries. The Presidency also directed the Head of Service and the Federal Civil Service Commission to “facilitate their employment immediately.”
While the cash awards have been paid, several of the honorees said that they have not been contacted about job opportunities or scholarships. One said, “There has been no automatic job of any form; in fact, no one has reached out. The only thing they have fulfilled is the money promised.”
Others expressed disappointment that the high-profile announcement has yet to translate into tangible opportunities, urging the government not to reduce the pledge to “mere publicity.”
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