Tinubu Defends NYSC Overhaul, Says Reforms Will Prepare Youth for Modern Challenges

President Bola Tinubu has defended the Federal Government’s comprehensive reforms to the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC), saying the changes are necessary to align the scheme with Nigeria’s current realities and better prepare young people for the future.

In a statement shared on his official X account on Wednesday, the President described the reforms, approved by the Federal Executive Council (FEC) on Monday, as the most far-reaching since the NYSC was established in 1973.

Tinubu said the overhaul fulfils a key promise he made during his inauguration to expand opportunities for young Nigerians and ensure they play a leading role in national development.

According to him, the administration is transforming the NYSC from a programme focused mainly on national service into a platform that equips participants with practical skills, enhances employability and encourages entrepreneurship.

He stressed that Nigeria’s youth, who make up nearly 70 per cent of the country’s population, should be viewed as a strategic asset rather than a burden.

“Our young people are the engine of the one-trillion-dollar economy we are building and the hope of this nation,” the President stated.

Six-Week Orientation Programme

Under the approved reforms, the NYSC orientation course will be extended to six weeks. The programme will begin with civic responsibility, leadership, national values and personal development before moving into career readiness, entrepreneurship, digital skills, financial literacy and specialised training based on participants’ academic qualifications and career interests.

The specialised training will cover sectors such as agriculture, education, healthcare, technology, law, public service, infrastructure, the green economy, enterprise, the creative industry, as well as paramilitary and security services.

Improved Security and Smarter Deployment

Tinubu also announced measures aimed at strengthening the safety of corps members.

He explained that postings to security-sensitive states would now be based on detailed risk assessments. Priority would be given to indigenes, residents, graduates of institutions within those states and neighbouring states in the same geopolitical zone.

The President added that the mobilisation process would become fully technology-driven, while primary assignments would be matched more closely with corps members’ academic backgrounds, skills and career paths.

Civilian Leadership for NYSC

As part of the reforms, the NYSC will now be headed by a civilian Director-General supported by three Executive Directors, one of whom will represent the military or paramilitary services and oversee security matters.

Orientation camps will also be evaluated under a national grading and certification system, while the traditional Passing-Out Parade will be replaced with a Graduation Ceremony to reflect the programme’s expanded developmental focus.

Legal Backing for Reforms

Tinubu disclosed that he has directed the Federal Ministry of Youth Development and the Federal Ministry of Justice to begin the process of amending the NYSC Act and other relevant regulations to provide legal support for the reforms.

He also commended the Minister of Youth Development, Ayodele Olawande, Special Adviser on Policy and Coordination Hadiza Bala Usman, the Federal Ministry of Education and members of the reform committee for their contributions.

FG Seeks Compensation from South Africa for Nigerians’ Lost Properties

The Federal Government has announced plans to seek compensation from the South African government for Nigerians who were forced to abandon businesses, homes and other valuable assets while fleeing renewed xenophobic tensions in the country.

The move comes as another 269 Nigerians arrived in Lagos aboard the third government-assisted evacuation flight, bringing the total number of evacuees to 603.

The returnees include 268 Nigerians evacuated by Air Peace in the first batch, 66 airlifted by ValueJet in the second batch, and 269 brought back on the latest Air Peace flight.

Speaking during an interview on Channels Television’s The Morning Brief as the latest batch landed in Lagos, Acting Nigerian High Commissioner to South Africa, Temitope Ajayi, said the government had begun compiling records of businesses and properties abandoned by returning Nigerians.

According to Ajayi, the documentation will form the basis of discussions with South African authorities over possible compensation.

He explained that Nigerian officials had already initiated conversations with South African counterparts, including the country’s Deputy Minister of Finance, on the issue.

Ajayi said returnees had been instructed to accurately document all businesses, vehicles, movable and immovable assets they were leaving behind.

He noted that the Nigerian government would verify the information with South African authorities before formally pursuing compensation.

“We will not allow the investments and years of hard work of our citizens to be lost without seeking redress,” he said.

The envoy also dismissed claims that most Nigerians affected by the evacuation were undocumented migrants.

According to him, the majority entered South Africa legally but became victims of prolonged delays in the country’s immigration system while attempting to renew their permits.

He explained that backlogs at South Africa’s Home Affairs Department over the past few years had left many foreign nationals, including Nigerians, waiting for documentation, making it unfair to label them illegal immigrants.

Third evacuation flight arrives in Lagos

The latest evacuation was part of the five Air Peace flights approved by President Bola Tinubu to bring home Nigerians affected by the anti-immigrant protests.

The approval followed the screening and clearance of more than 1,000 Nigerians by the Nigerian High Commission in Pretoria.

The returnees were received at the airport by officials of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs led by the Director of African Affairs, Ambassador Haruna Ali Gombe, who conveyed President Tinubu’s goodwill message and reassured them of the government’s commitment to their welfare.

In a statement, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, through its spokesperson Kimiebi Ebienfa, said the evacuation exercise would continue beyond the June 30 deadline announced by South African authorities for undocumented foreigners.

The ministry also assured that the Federal Government would continue diplomatic engagement with Pretoria to ensure the safety and protection of Nigerians living in South Africa.

Ebienfa urged Nigerians still awaiting evacuation to remain calm, stay security conscious, avoid protest routes and maintain regular contact with the Nigerian High Commission for updates.

Nigerians in South Africa report calm despite protests

Meanwhile, Nigerians living in South Africa said the nationwide anti-immigrant protests remained largely peaceful due to a heavy deployment of security personnel.

South African authorities mobilised about 13,000 law enforcement officers, helicopters, drones and thousands of surveillance cameras across Gauteng Province to prevent a repeat of the violent unrest experienced in 2021.

A Nigerian resident in Johannesburg, who identified himself simply as Madueke, said businesses were shut and many residents stayed indoors as protesters marched through parts of the city.

He, however, noted that the presence of military personnel prevented attacks on businesses and residents.

According to him, security forces closely monitored the demonstrators, preventing the looting and destruction that had characterised previous xenophobic attacks.

Madueke appealed to the Nigerian government to provide additional evacuation flights, saying thousands of Nigerians were still waiting to return home after registering at the Nigerian High Commission in Pretoria.

Law-abiding Nigerians cannot be forced out

Also speaking, National Secretary of the Igbo Union South Africa, Ezeanozie Eleberi, described the situation as calm but maintained that law-abiding Nigerians could not be forced out of the country by anti-immigrant groups.

He said only about 1,500 Nigerians had indicated interest in voluntary repatriation, while many others remain legally resident in South Africa with established businesses, jobs and families.

Eleberi argued that individuals leading the protests were private citizens without the authority to expel foreign nationals.

He added that Nigerian associations had continued working with the Nigerian High Commission to provide food, water and other emergency support to stranded citizens while warning them to avoid areas where tensions were high.

Eleberi also blamed South Africa’s immigration system for the documentation challenges facing many Nigerians, saying numerous permit renewal applications had remained unattended to for years.

Oyo Teachers Resume Work as NUT Suspends Strike After Government Security Assurances

The Nigeria Union of Teachers (NUT) has suspended its industrial action across public schools in Oyo State, directing all teachers to return to work on Thursday, July 2, following fresh discussions with the state government over security concerns triggered by the abduction of teachers and pupils in Oriire Local Government Area.

The decision was announced in a statement issued on Wednesday and jointly signed by the Oyo State NUT Chairman, Hassan Ajibola Fatai, and the union’s Secretary, Olukayode Salami.

According to the union, the suspension followed a directive from its national leadership after reviewing the security situation and considering appeals from the Oyo State Government and other stakeholders.

The strike had been declared in response to the kidnapping of teachers and students in Oriire LGA, which raised serious concerns about the safety of schools across the state.

The NUT said it agreed to resume academic activities after receiving assurances from the government that efforts were being intensified to secure the release of the abducted victims and improve security in and around schools.

Among the commitments made by the state government are the strengthening of rescue operations for the kidnapped teachers and pupils, the establishment of a fully equipped Joint Security Task Force to patrol vulnerable schools and access roads, and continued engagement with the families of the victims.

The government also pledged to provide psychosocial support and rehabilitation for rescued victims, while ensuring that gratuities and other entitlements are paid to the families of deceased teachers.

Other promised measures include reinforcing the Safe School Initiative through public awareness campaigns and early warning systems, improving emergency response mechanisms, dismantling criminal hideouts, upgrading school infrastructure, tackling illegal mining and open grazing in forest areas, enhancing community intelligence gathering, ensuring the prosecution of criminal suspects, improving the welfare of security personnel, and deploying technology to strengthen school security.

The union commended its members, alongside the All Nigeria Confederation of Principals of Secondary Schools (ANCOPSS) and the Association of Primary School Head Teachers of Nigeria (AOPSHON), for their discipline, solidarity and compliance throughout the strike.

As teachers prepare to return to classrooms, the NUT urged members to remain vigilant, comply with security guidelines, and promptly report any suspicious activities or threats within their schools and communities to the appropriate authorities.

Makinde names commissioner nominee, announces fresh appointments

The Oyo State Governor, Mr. Seyi Makinde, has forwarded the name of the Permanent Secretary, General Administration, Olabode Ladipo, to the Oyo State House of Assembly for confirmation as a commissioner.

The governor also appointed Ifeoluwa Akande as Chairman of the Samuel Ladoke Akintola Airport Upgrade Committee, Isola Adekunle as Executive Adviser on Intra-Party Affairs, and Oladejo Oladokun as a part-time member of the Local Government Service Commission.

According to a letter signed on Tuesday by the Chief of Staff to the Governor, Segun Ogunwuyi, “The appointments take effect from July 1, 2026. Governor Makinde, while congratulating the newly appointed individuals, urged them to discharge their duties with dedication, loyalty and commitment.”

The PUNCH reports that Makinde announced a cabinet reshuffle in January 2026.

In a statement released at the time by his Special Adviser on Media, Sulaimon Olanrewaju, in Ibadan, the state capital, the governor relieved the Secretary to the State Government, Olanike Adeyemo, of her appointment with immediate effect.

He said, “Musibau Babatunde has been appointed as the new Secretary to the State Government.

“Barrister Temilolu Ashamu has been moved from the Ministry of Environment and Natural Resources to the Ministry of Budget and Economic Planning.”

The governor also announced his Senior Special Assistant on Public Works, Ademola Aderinto, as a commissioner-designate.

The statement further announced the appointment of Abiodun Adedoja as Special Adviser on Energy Security and Kolawole Elijah Akanmu as Senior Special Assistant on Budget and Economic Planning.

BREAKING: APC drops Suswam, Elegbeleye, 24 other heavyweights from final INEC list

The National Working Committee (NWC) of the All Progressives Congress (APC) has removed former Benue State Governor Gabriel Suswam and former House of Representatives member Gbenga Elegbeleye from the party’s final list of National Assembly candidates.

The decision also saw the replacement of five other senatorial aspirants and 19 House of Representatives candidates.

According to an official document obtained by our correspondent, the changes affected constituencies across nine states: Kogi, Abia, Benue, Taraba, Ondo, Niger, Kwara, Kaduna and Ebonyi.

The revised list was formally transmitted to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) through a joint letter signed by the APC National Chairman, Prof. Nentawe Yilwatda, and the National Secretary, Senator Ajibola Basiru. Campaigns& Elections

The correspondence, titled “Forwarding of Approved List of Senatorial and House of Representatives Candidates,” stated that the changes were made following recommendations by the party’s internal dispute resolution mechanism after a comprehensive review of the nomination process.

The development is expected to reshape the APC’s National Assembly contests in the affected states as the party moves to resolve disputes arising from its primaries.

“We write to formally forward the attached list of the party’s candidates for the affected senatorial and House of Representatives candidates’ constituencies arising from the report of the Primary Election Appeal Committee,” the letter read in part.

“Following the determination of Appeals from the recently concluded primary elections, the Reports of the Appeal Committee were reviewed and subsequently considered and approved by the NWC of the APC as the party’s final position on the affected constituencies.” Campaigns& Elections

The ruling party further emphasized that the sudden replacements strictly complied with national electoral guidelines.

“In accordance with the Electoral Act 2022 (as amended) and INEC’s regulations and guidelines, we hereby transmit the enclosed list of the approved candidates for seven senatorial districts and 19 House of Representatives constituencies for your records and necessary action. Please accept the assurance of our highest regards,” the party leadership added.

A breakdown of the final senatorial list reveals massive upsets. In Benue North East, former Governor Gabriel Suswam was replaced by Emmanuel Memga Udende, while in Benue North West, Titus Tartenger Zam substituted Benjamin T. Aber.

In Ondo State, Gbenga Elegbeleye lost his Ondo North senatorial ticket to Olajide Ipinsagbe, just as Taiwo Fasorati was substituted by Adeniyi Adegbonmire for Ondo Central.

Other high-profile substitutions include Kogi West, where Senator Sunday Karimi replaced Aro Samuel Bamidele; Abia South, where Prince Paul Ikonne replaced Edinburgh Uchenna Erondu; and Taraba North, where Shuibu Isa Lau replaced Mohammed Kabir Bello.

The clean sweep heavily impacted House of Representatives tickets across the federation. In Benue State alone, five victorious candidates were swapped out, including Ikper Chris Terfa (Makurdi/Human), who was replaced by Dickson Tarkighir, and Livinus Tsar Adzor (Vandekiya/Konshsha), replaced by Sesoo Ikpagher.

Ondo State also recorded a high casualty rate, with six federal constituency tickets altered. Notably, Donald Ojogo replaced Akingboye Leke in the Ilaje/Ese-Ode Federal Constituency, and Festus Olarewaju took the place of Rasaq Obe in the Idanre Federal Constituency.

Similar substitutions were executed in Taraba, Niger, Kwara, Kaduna, and Ebonyi states as the APC finalizes its ranks ahead of the general elections.