Economy
Tinubu Government Sets For Digital, Fiscal Reforms Of NYSC
Tinubu Government Sets For Digital, Fiscal Reforms Of NYSC
Tinubu Government sets for digital, fiscal reforms of NYSC. She added that the current NYSC framework was outdated, overstretched and misaligned with national priorities.
The federal government says the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) must be transformed into a modern, digitally driven and fiscally sustainable national institution capable of meeting Nigeria’s current and future manpower needs.
Hadiza Usman, special adviser to the president on policy and coordination and head of the central results delivery coordination unit, stated this on Monday in Abuja at the NYSC Reform Stakeholders’ Consultative Engagement Forum.
The forum was organised by the Office of the Special Adviser to the President on Policy and Coordination to validate recommendations of the NYSC reform committee.
Ms Usman said that although the scheme had, for more than five decades, symbolised national unity and civic responsibility, it could no longer operate under structures designed for the 1990s.
“For over five decades, the NYSC has symbolised unity, civic responsibility and national integration. Yet, as with all human institutions, relevance requires reinvention,” she said.
She added that the current NYSC framework was outdated, overstretched and misaligned with national priorities.
“These realities have made clear that the current structure – centralised, analogue, financially overstretched, and misaligned with national manpower needs – cannot carry the scheme into the future,” she said.
Ms Usman said diagnostic reviews conducted by the committee revealed legal, operational, digital and fiscal gaps requiring immediate action.
She said the findings showed that centralisation had slowed service delivery, the funding model relied too heavily on the federal government, and skill development programmes were misaligned with labour-market needs.
In response to these gaps, she said the committee proposed far-reaching reforms, including amendment of the NYSC Act to provide for digital service, gender-responsive deployment, co-funding by states and local governments, and explicit employer obligations.
Others include a three-tier governance structure for improved accountability, a unified digital command and service platform, zonal innovation hubs under a redesigned skill acquisition and entrepreneurship development model, and the creation of a N2 billion NYSC Innovation Fund.
“The reform proposal envisions a phased implementation between 2026 and 2028, beginning with legislative amendments and digital pilots in 2026, and culminating in a nationwide sector-aligned deployment model by 2028,” she said.
She noted that the success of the reforms depended on broad stakeholder ownership.
Earlier, the minister of youth, Ayodele Olawande, said the reforms were necessary to ensure that corps members were better prepared for employment and self-reliance, adding that the scheme must produce graduates capable of contributing meaningfully to the economy.
“Let us make NYSC productive so that after one year, corps members will not just come out looking for government jobs but can become employers of labour,” he said.
He added that with the number of corps members expected to rise from 400,000 to 600,000 annually, Nigeria must ensure that the scheme remained relevant and aligned with economic realities.
The director-general of the NYSC, Brig.-Gen. Olakinle Nafiu, said the scheme had undergone several internal and external reforms over the decades and must continue to evolve.
“As a matter of fact, in 1973, the first set of corps members mobilised were 2,364. Today, we mobilise 400,000 annually, and we expect 650,000 locally trained graduates to present for service next year,” he said.

Tinubu Government Sets For Digital, Fiscal Reforms Of NYSC
He added that the NYSC remained a model in Africa and must keep improving to retain that status.
The director-general of National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA), Kashifu Inuwa, said the reforms must enable the country to harness its human capital to drive national growth and global competitiveness.
He noted that Nigeria’s rapidly expanding population provided both an opportunity and a challenge that the NYSC must help to address.
“In Nigeria, we can conveniently train our youth and help them to reach the global talent gap. Imagine we have two million Nigerians working remotely; this can earn the country nothing less than 100 billion dollars annually. We can achieve a one trillion-dollar economy if we harness our human capital,” he said.
A youth participant, Fatima Lamisula, representing Borno North at the Nigerian Youth Parliament, said the reforms were timely and aligned with the needs of young graduates who face a rapidly changing labour market.
“These policies are outdated and youth have to bring in their ideas and innovations. Life after NYSC is something we have to think of even before finishing the programme, so the reforms should align with the future of corps members,” she said.
Recommendations from the forum will be forwarded to the federal executive council and subsequently to the National Assembly for legislative action.
Economy
Lagos Assembly Strongly Seeks Suspension Of Makoko Demolition
Lagos Assembly Strongly Seeks Suspension Of Makoko Demolition
Lagos assembly strongly seeks suspension of Makoko demolition. The Lagos state house of assembly has called for the suspension of demolition activities in Makoko, Oko-Agbon and Shogunro waterfront communities following protests by displaced residents and growing public concern over the exercise.
The call was announced on Tuesday by Noheem Adams, chairman of an ad hoc committee set up by Mudashiru Obasa, speaker of the house, during a stakeholders’ meeting held at the Lateef Jakande auditorium.
Adams called on all state ministries to cease demolition work and promised compensation to the affected residents.
“On behalf of the speaker and all 40 members of the house, we are directing that all demolitions in Makoko, Oko-Agbon, and Shogunro communities should stop from today until further notice,” New Telegraph quoted Adams as saying.
He called for transparency by demanding the full list of taskforce members and the criteria used for engagement, insisting that residents must be actively involved in the process.
“That the taskforce that was constituted, we want to see the list of the taskforce because we want the residents to be duly involved and to be carried along. So we want to have the schedule of those task forces and the criteria for those that we are inviting,” Adams added.

Lagos Assembly
“To the residents of Makoko, Oko-Agbon and Shogunro communities, as your representatives, we are giving you all assurances that they will stop demolitions henceforth and there will be compensations for all those whose properties have been demolished.”
Stephen Ogundipe, member of the ad-hoc, said there is need for clear communication, adding that residents targeted for relocation or redevelopment must be informed of the government’s plans in advance.
Babatunde Olajide, special adviser to governor of Lagos on E-GIS and urban renewal, confirmed that $2 million had been earmarked since 2021 to transform Makoko into a modern, internationally compliant water city.
He said enumeration of affected properties is underway and reiterated the administration’s commitment to handling the situation with a human face, prioritizing resident safety and fair compensation.
Yusuf Sagra, baale of Makoko, described the assembly’s decision as a “word of peace,” while Orioye Ogungbure, another leader of the community, praised the “democratic responsiveness” of the government.
Crime
EFCC Arrests Kannywood Star, Samha Inuwa for Alleged Naira Mutilation In Viral Video
EFCC Arrests Kannywood Star, Samha Inuwa for Alleged Naira Mutilation In Viral Video
EFCC arrests Kannywood Star, Samha Inuwa for alleged naira mutilation in viral video. The Kano Zonal Directorate of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, on Tuesday, February 3, 2026 arrested a Kannywood Star, Samha Inuwa over alleged Naira mutilation.
Inuwa was arrested following a viral video circulated on social media platforms where she was seen conspicuously cleaning mucus from her nose using Naira notes.

EFCC
Following the release of the viral video, the Commission swung into action by tracing and subsequently arrested her to answer questions.
She is currently being held at the Commission’s detention facility while investigation is ongoing.
The suspect will be charged to court upon conclusion of investigations.
Dele Oyewale
Head, Media & Publicity
February 3, 2026
Economy
Access Bank Gets New Board Chair Ifeyinwa Osime
Access Bank Gets New Board Chair Ifeyinwa Osime
Access Bank gets new board chair Ifeyinwa Osime. Access Bank Plc has appointed Ifeyinwa Osime as chair of the board of directors, following the retirement of Paul Usoro, on January 29.
Access Bank Plc has appointed Ifeyinwa Osime as chair of the board of directors, following the retirement of Paul Usoro, on January 29, according to a statement to the Nigerian Exchange Ltd. on Monday.
Ms Osime, a legal practitioner, joined Access Bank’s board in November 2019 as an independent non-executive director and had chaired its Human Resources and Sustainability Committee and the Governance, Nomination, and Remuneration Committee. This role made her contribute significantly to the bank’s corporate governance, leadership development, and sustainability initiatives.
Additionally, Ms Osime is a director at Ebudo Trust Ltd. and a partner at McPherson Legal Practitioners, where she advises on corporate and commercial matters and contributes to strategic leadership.
She is also a member of the Nigerian Bar Association, the Women Corporate Directors, Nigeria Chapter, and the Chartered Institute of Directors, Nigeria, where she serves on the Executive Committee of the Women Sectoral Group.

Access Bank Gets New Board Chair Ifeyinwa Osime
Beyond her professional responsibilities, Ms Osime is committed to mentoring youths and is actively involved in the Autism and Developmental Delays Support Community, reflecting her dedication to inclusion and social impact.
Speaking on her appointment, the group chairman, Aigboje Aig-lmoukhuede, said, “Mrs Osime is a principled and experienced leader with a deep understanding of the Bank’s strategy and values.
“She has demonstrated strong commitment to the bank’s vision and mission, and I am confident that, under her leadership, the bank will continue to advance its strategic objectives of delivering sustainable value to shareholders and other stakeholders in the pursuit of its vision to become the world’s most respected African bank.”
Mr Aig-lmoukhuede also congratulated Mr Usoro on the completion of his tenure and on his exemplary leadership, dedication, and significant contributions to the group, saying he remains a valued member of the Access family.
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