Governments at all levels have been urged to urgently formulate and implement targeted public health policies focused on nutrition, dieting, and healthy lifestyle choices to curb the rising surge of preventable non-communicable diseases across the nation.

A Senior Lecturer in the Department of Nutrition and Dietetics, ​Associate Professor Nkemjika Umerah made the call during the 4th Annual Public Lecture of the Enugu State University of Science and Technology (ESUT) College of Medicine (ESUCOM), held at the International Conference Centre Enugu on Wednesday

​The guest lecturer highlighted the critical gap between individual health awareness and systemic government action. The Don emphasized that while individuals must take personal responsibility for what they consume, sustainable health outcomes require clear regulatory frameworks, subsidized healthy foods, and mandatory nutrition education integrated into national programs.

​”Preventive healthcare remains the most cost-effective strategy for any nation,” the lecturer stated. “Without strong policy frameworks governing dietary standards, food labeling, and public wellness initiatives, our healthcare infrastructure will continue to be overwhelmed by manageable conditions like hypertension, diabetes, and cardiovascular failure.”

​Declaring the event open, the Vice-Chancellor of ESUT, Prof Aloysius-Michaels OKolie commended the College of Medicine for maintaining the tradition of hosting impactful public lectures that bridge academic research with societal needs. The VC reiterated the institution’s commitment to advancing medical research, community outreach, and championing policies that improve public health outcomes.

In his opening remarks, the Provost of the College, Prof. Uchenna Ekwochi, underscored the strategic role of the institution’s Annual Public Lecture series, describing it as a key driver of the college’s Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) and community outreach agenda.

​Prof. Ekwochi stated that medical institutions must extend their responsibilities beyond clinical training and academic research to address real-world public health challenges affecting immediate communities.

​According to the Provost, “the annual lecture series serves as a critical bridge between complex academic research and everyday health practices for the public._ He noted that by bringing expert knowledge on preventive healthcare, nutrition, and lifestyle choices directly to society, ESUCOM is fulfilling its obligation to reduce disease burdens and promote longevity.

​”As a premier medical institution, our duty is not limited to graduating world-class physicians and carrying out laboratory investigations,” Prof. Ekwochi remarked. “Through our CSR initiatives—anchored by this annual public lecture—we take preventive medical advocacy to the public square, empowering individuals and policymakers with actionable knowledge on healthy living.”

​Prof. Ekwochi further emphasized that themed discussions focusing on pressing health issues—such as dietary policies, preventive healthcare, and the dangers of substance and soft drink abuse—reflect ESUCOM’s proactive approach to public health intervention.

​He reaffirmed the college leadership’s dedication to sustaining the annual lecture platform, assuring stakeholders that ESUCOM will continue to champion initiatives that positively impact community wellness and support government policy formulation in the health sector.

The 4th ESUCOM Annual Public Lecture which focused on the theme: “From Plate to Patient: How Diet Affects Your Health”
brought together medical professionals, academics, policymakers, and students to discuss strategic pathways toward improving community health standards and national wellness.

The post Varsity Don Urges Governments to Enact Policies on Dieting, Healthy Living appeared first on ESUT Monitor.

Nnabuenyi Chioma and Ugoji Chinwedu

The Deanship baton in the Faculty of Law, ESUT, on Friday was moved from Rev. Dr. Chigozie Onuegbulam to the new occupant, Prof. Osita Ogbu. Dr. Onuegbulam, who was formerly the Associate Dean of the faculty, was elevated to Acting Dean following the appointment of the former Dean, Professor Simon Ortuanya, as the 16th Vice-Chancellor of the University of Nigeria, Nsukka.

During the handover ceremony in the Dean’s office, Dr. Onuegbulam congratulated her successor and urged him to consolidate on the platforms already created in transforming the faculty. The former Dean enumerated her achievements to include the reticulation of water in the faculty, the establishment of a website for the Law Clinic, and the creation of the Students’ Hall of Fame, among others.

She noted that the major challenge was increasing the quota from its current number, adding that she made efforts and urged the new Dean to follow up in that regard. “My main objective was to achieve sanity and transform the faculty, which, to the glory of God, I was able to achieve. The major challenge remains increasing our quota, and efforts are being made in this regard,” she said.

She appreciated the University management under the Vice-Chancellor, Prof. Aloysius-Michaels Okolie, for their support and encouragement, and thanked the Faculty board, staff and students for being part of the success story.

The newly elected Dean, Prof. Osita Ogbu stated that his mission is to contribute further to what the former Dean has to the put in place. He also stated that the former Dean’s including Rev. Sr. Dr. Onuegbulam has worked very hard for the Faculty of Law.

He pointed out that that he is going to ensure he advance their good work. He also praised the former dean Rev. Sr. Dr. Onuegbulam for all her efforts stating that she has set a wonderful precedent in the faculty.

The newly inaugurated dean stated that by the grace of God he will make his impact. He also stated that he has been dean before. “I have been Dean before, two years at Chukwuemeka Odumegwu Ojukwu University and also in ESUT here, it is not a question of time, it is a question of determination and commitment to improve things and make Contribution towards the growth of the faculty and that of the University.

The former dean Rev. Sr. Dr. M.C Onuegbulam stated that she has a lot of things she needed to do in the faculty but couldn’t before her tenure was over. She also mentioned one of those things include increasing the quota to 200 or 250 at least (Law School quota) which has not been achieved till now.

She also stated she did a lot of things while in the office which included Ensuring that the faculty is running and stable, obtaining of the Law Clinic online, connecting water to the faculty to ensure steady water supply, among others

The post ESUT Law Faculty: Sr Onuegbulam Hands Over to New Dean, Prof Ogbu appeared first on ESUT Monitor.

By Amanoh Chioma

Prof. Patrick Ejikeme, the new Dean of the Faculty of Engineering, Enugu State University of Science and Technology (ESUT) has promised to consolidate of the achievements recorded by his predecessor, Prof Thompson Chime.

Prof Ejikeme disclosed this on Friday during the change of deanship baton in the faculty. He stated that his immediate priority for the faculty would be to sustain unity among staff to achieve a peaceful learning environment which he believes can bring about progress in the faculty.

The Dean also expressed his plans to establish a good and sustainable research direction to enable the faculty stand-out from other faculties within the University.

He further stated that improving academic standards would requires full corporation of everyone as well as monitoring and implementation adding that lecturer’s performance and attendance would be closely monitored, as well as students attendance as both parties works hand-in-hand to promote effective pedagogy .

“To my predecessor, Prof Chime, I want to thank you for the great strides you recorded for the faculty. You lead critical foundations for the faculty to grow. I will consolidate on them,” he said.

Speaking during the handover, the outgone dean, Prof Chime congratulated his successor and urged him to be a team player. He expressed gratitude to the staff and students of the faculty as well as the university management for their maximum support adding that administration is a collective enterprise.

“I want to once again congratulate you on emerging victorious during the election and today you begin your journey as the new dean of our faculty. Be rest assured of my support at all times. Leadership is a collective efforts and because the faculyty is our family, we will join hands with your to make it better.

“Let me also use this opportunity to thank the staff, students and the university management for their support to the faculty during my time. The Vice-Chancellor and his team is very supportive and helped us in recording the achievements we had in the past two years. I also urge the staff and students to extend the same hands of fellowship to our new dean,” he said.

Prof Ejikeme’s tenure will last till the 2027/2028 academic session.

The post Prof Ejikeme Takes over from Prof Chime, Outlines Plans for Engineering Faculty in ESUT appeared first on ESUT Monitor.

By Ugwu Ijeoma and Obinna Ogechi

Dr Andrew Apeh of the Department of Mass Communication, has been elected the substantive Chairman of the Academic Staff Union of Universities ASUU, ESUT branch.

In the general election conducted at the Main Campus of the university as well as the ESUT College of Medicine on Tuesday, Dr Apeh who was the sole candidate for the position, polled a total of 161 votes out of 162 to be returned elected.

In other positions filled during the election which was supervised by the national body of the union, Comrade, Samuel Onyinyechi Nneji won the Secretary position with 161 votes, Comrade, Chukwu Leonard Chinweuba won the Treasurer position with 159 votes; Comrade, Vincent Aniaku won the Financial Secretary with 159, Comrade, Dele Maxwell Ugwanyi won the Internal Auditor position with 157 votes; Comrade, Nneka Maduagwu won the welfare officer with 158 votes while Comrade, Solomon Asogwa won the investment officer position with 159 votes.

A bye-election will be conducted later to fill the vacant Vice-Chairman and Assistant Secretary positions.

With the general election conducted Comrade Apeh has officially transitioned from his acting role to emerge as the substantive Chairman of the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), Enugu State University of Science and Technology (ESUT) branch.

The election, which concluded at the university’s main campus in Agbani, marks a definitive chapter for the union following Dr. Apeh’s highly publicized tenure steering the chapter through critical welfare disputes.

Dr. Apeh’s elevation to the substantive leadership position comes immediately on the heels of major victories for the local chapter. Prior to the election, while serving as the Acting Chairman, he successfully negotiated a landmark tripartite Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Enugu State Government under Governor Peter Mbah and the ESUT management.

The historic agreement secured an additional ₦115 million in monthly subvention for the university—raising the total monthly funding to ₦276 million—and locked in the phased domestication of the FGN/ASUU agreement slated to run through January 2027.

The successful resolution of the two-week warning strike significantly solidified his support among the academic staff.

In his acceptance address following the election declaration, Dr. Apeh expressed profound gratitude to the ESUT congress for their overwhelming trust and steadfast solidarity during turbulent industrial negotiations. He reaffirmed that his administration’s core focus remains the unwavering protection of lecturers’ fundamental rights and academic welfare.

“Our welfare is our fundamental right, and it must be addressed without politicisation. Your trust will not be taken for granted,. This new mandate means more action and commitment,” Apeh stated,

The newly elected substantive Chairman made it clear that the union will not relent on its oversight responsibilities and emphasized that the administration would aggressively monitor the newly signed MoU through a dedicated mechanism.

This is to ensure that the Enugu State Government and ESUT Management strictly adhere to the timelines agreed upon for salary reviews, third-party deductions, and the liquidation of outstanding Earned Academic Allowances (EAA).

While appealing for members’ support, Comr Apeh highlighted the need for the branch to remain united and thanked stakeholders who played prominent roles in ensuring effective stability in the branch

“On behalf of ASUU-ESUT, we want to appreciate you for standing with us firmly, and for making sure that we are better than where we were before now.
​We promise that you should expect the best: quality welfare, good environment, also university autonomy. This is what ASUU stands for. Together, we will achieve all of this.
​
“I beg you for one thing: total support, advice. Let us not divide. Divided we beg. If we unite, everything that is ours must come to us. Come for congresses, there is nothing we cannot solve. Nobody will victimize any of us. This is a family. Come together in this family, let us deliberate and solve our problems as one family,’ he said

Comrade Apeh replaced former chairman of the union, Prof Nnamami as the substantive chairman of ASUU-ESUT branch

The post Dr Apeh Elected Substantive Chairman ASUU-ESUT, Promises More Actions appeared first on ESUT Monitor.

In response to the high rate of tenant fees in Enugu State, especially in student areas, the Enugu State Government has revealed plans to build student hostels and move all students onto campus.

This was revealed on Tuesday during an exclusive interview with the Enugu State Internal Revenue Service Chairman, Mr. Emmanuel Nnamani, on African Independent Television (AIT).

Speaking to newsmen, he stated that the Enugu State Government plans to accommodate all ESUT students on campus. The government is collaborating with Tetiary Education fund (TETFund)to build massive hostels that will accommodate every ESUT student inside the campus.

“Government is also fencing ESUT round. Some staff quarters are going to be demolished to make way for high-rise buildings to accommodate more staff. When staff move in and live inside the institutio

n, that will free up some buildings,” he said. 

He also mentioned that Institute of Management and Technology,(IMT) and Enugu State Polytechnic Iwollo (ESPOLY) will join the initiative.

Mr. Nnamani highlighted some reasons for the increase in house rent by landlords, stressing that tax is not the reason for house rent increments in Enugu State. He cited the national issue of housing deficit.

“We have about 20 million housing deficit in Nigeria, and this housing deficit is increasing on a daily basis because over the years we have not built houses that will accommodate people. Enugu is expanding in business and is no longer just a civil service state as it used to be called.”

He further stated that previously there were no coal mining sites, but now there are major sites with staff who will need housing.

“That house you live in and complain is 1.2 million naira, if you fail to pay, another person might tell the landlord that he can pay 2 million naira, and they will sack you.”

He concluded that all these factors are putting pressure on housing, and that the government has a plan to address it.

The post Enugu Government plans to build Hostel, Staff Quarters in ESUT appeared first on ESUT Monitor.

 The Senate of the Enugu State University of Science and Technology, ESUT, has approved the upgrade of the School of Postgraduate Studies, SPGS, to a College of Postgraduate Studies, CPGS, in what management has described as the most transformational decision for postgraduate education in the university.

The approval was given at the 278th Regular Meeting of Senate held on 12th August 2026 under the leadership of the Vice Chancellor. Professor Aloysius Michaels Okolie.

Announcing the development, the Dean of SPGS and Provost-Designate, Prof. Charles Chime, expressed gratitude to Senate and Management for the historic decision.

Speaking to our newsmen, Prof. Chime said the upgrade was “not just a change of name” but “a vote of confidence in the growth of postgraduate education in ESUT, and a recognition of the dedication of our staff, supervisors, and students over the years.”

“On behalf of the entire School, I sincerely thank the Vice Chancellor, Management, and all members of Senate for their vision, support, and trust,” he said.

Prof. Chime pledged that as the institution transitions to a College, his administration will provide visionary leadership to “reposition the College to drive research excellence, strengthen supervision, improve funding and collaboration, and make ESUT postgraduate training globally competitive.”

“We will work with all Faculties, Departments, and stakeholders to ensure this College becomes a pride of ESUT and a hub for quality postgraduate education in Nigeria,” he added.

The upgrade comes under the tenure of Prof. Aloysius Michaels Okolie, whose administration has recorded major reforms in postgraduate education including digital transformation, elimination of student overstay, showcasing of esuts postgraduate research output through annual international conferences, and major infrastructural upgrades such as solar power and borehole water systems among others.

University officials say the new College status will give postgraduate studies greater administrative autonomy, better funding opportunities, and stronger capacity for research and global partnerships.

The Senate’s decision has been widely welcomed by staff and students as a landmark step in repositioning ESUT as a leading center for advanced postgraduate learning in the country

The post ESUT Senate Approves Upgrade of School of Postgraduate Studies to College Status  appeared first on ESUT Monitor.

By Ndubuisi Daberechi

Dr Chukwuemeka Ugwuegede has taken over as the new Head of Department of Human Kinetics and Health Education at Enugu State University of Science and Technology, ESUT, following the completion of the tenure of Professor Ngozi Ani

Professor Ani, who assumed office on October 5, 2025, handed over on August 27, 2026. She described her time in office as one that recorded some achievements despite the challenges faced by the department

According to her, one of the major achievements was the full accreditation of the department’s two programmes, Health Education and Human Kinetics

“We had full accreditation of our two programmes” she said, adding that the accreditation was done in November and the first week of December last year

She also said the department had its first university-wide health awareness programme where students were educated on how to live a healthy life. The department also hosted a conference of the Nigerian Association of Health Educators in June, which attracted people from different parts of the country

Professor Ani further mentioned an increase in student enrolment as another achievement of her tenure. She said the department currently has 64 undergraduate students while the postgraduate students are about 30 or above

However, she said the department had challenges including electricity, funds, office and classroom spaces, as well as facilities for practical activities

“We don’t actually have enough space for our lectures and offices for the lecturers” she said, adding that some lecturers, including senior lecturers, have to share offices

Speaking on her advice to the incoming HOD, Professor Ani said he needs to “hit the ground running” and build on what he met in the department

“I have the confidence that he will go far. He has the grace to go far” she said, encouraging him to double the achievements already recorded

In his response, Dr Ugwuekete said his plans for the department would be in two areas, academics and institutional support

“My plans should come in two folds. One, pure academics. Two, institutional support” he said

He also said attracting students and keeping them in the university would be part of the department’s responsibilities, noting that students need to be treated well if they are to remain in the institution

Dr Ugwuegede commended Professor Ani for her work, saying the department had witnessed “visible growth and development” during her tenure

He however appealed to her to support the new administration for continuity

“I will receive her maximum support to run the department” he said, adding that sustaining an achievement is more difficult than making it.

The post Dr. Ugwuegede Takes Over From Prof Ani as Head of Human Kinetics And Health Education Dept. ESUT appeared first on ESUT Monitor.

LAGOS — Dr. David Okelue Ugwunta, Senior Lecturer in Banking and Finance at Enugu State University of Science and Technology (ESUT) and former Honourable Commissioner for Budget and Planning, Enugu State, has brought his practical experience in public financial management and fiscal governance into a national conversation on the digital transformation of military financial management.

Ugwunta was a Discussant at the Fifteenth Nigerian Army Finance Corps Officers’ Biennial Training Conference, held from 9–14 August 2026 at the Nigerian Army School of Finance and Administration (NASFA), Apapa, Lagos. The conference was themed “Leveraging Digital Financial Technology and Professionalism for Enhanced Troops Morale Needed for Mission Success.”

The conference provided a platform for senior officers and financial management professionals to examine how technology, professionalism, accountability and stronger financial controls can improve resource management and support military effectiveness.

In his opening remarks, the Chief of Accounts and Budget (Army), Major General T. T. Sidick, underscored the importance of professionalising and transforming the Nigerian Army Finance Corps (NAFC) to respond to the demands of contemporary military financial management. His emphasis reflected the need for stronger financial controls, professional competence, accountability and the effective deployment of digital technology to improve resource stewardship and provide timely financial information for command decisions.

That institutional perspective provided an important backdrop to Ugwunta’s intervention.

From the Budget & Planning Ministry to the Nigerian Army Finance Corps

Ugwunta participated in the interactive session following the lecture, “Achieving Digital Financial Technology Transformation in the Nigerian Army Finance Corps for Enhanced Financial Management and Effective Decision Support for the Nigerian Army,” delivered by Major General A. A. Ayannuga (Rtd.).

Rather than simply reiterating the technical arguments in the lead presentation, Ugwunta drew on his experience as Honourable Commissioner for Budget and Planning, Enugu State, from 2019 to 2023, during the administration of former Governor Rt. Hon. Ifeanyi Lawrence Ugwuanyi.

As Commissioner, Ugwunta was directly involved in economic planning, budget formulation, implementation monitoring, fiscal policy, and performance reporting. That experience led him to conceive an integrated digital approach to the State’s budget cycle one in which Ministries, Departments and Agencies could prepare or upload budget proposals through an online platform, while the central budget authority could access, review and interrogate submissions during budget bilateral discussions and integrate approved proposals into the final budget.

For Ugwunta, however, the more important question was what happened after appropriation.

His proposed architecture envisaged the digital connection of budgeting, implementation, accounting, reporting, auditing and decision-making, enabling government to see at any point what had been received as revenue; approved, released, committed and spent as expenditure, identify variances and emerging financing pressures, and use the information to advise government and initiate appropriate corrective action.

Beyond Paperless Finance

Ugwunta argued that digital financial transformation should not be reduced to electronic payments or the computerisation of existing processes.

“The future of financial management is not simply paperless finance. It is integrated, intelligent and auditable finance.”

He proposed a Digital Financial Management Continuum:

Planning → Budgeting → Appropriation → Implementation → Accounting → Reporting → Auditing → Analysis → Decision.

In his view, the real value of digital transformation lies in connecting these functions so that the budget, accounting records, financial reports and audit information are generated from a common and reliable information architecture.

He stressed that the NAFC should be able to move from asking simply “what has happened?” to understanding “what is happening, what is likely to happen, what financing risk is emerging and what requires intervention?”

From Financial Data to Decision Intelligence

A central feature of Ugwunta’s contribution was the idea of a secure NAFCfinancial dashboard capable of providing decision-makers with real-time visibility of approved budgets, revenue, releases, commitments, expenditure, outstanding obligations, performance, variances and emerging financial pressures.

Such a system, he argued, should incorporate management by exception, automatically drawing attention to significant deviations, unusual transactions, underperforming programmes or emerging financial risks.

He also emphasised accounting and auditing as integral components of digital transformation.

Rather than treating audit as an activity that begins after transactions have occurred, digital systems can embed controls into financial processes, generate complete audit trails and use data analytics to identify unusual or high-risk transactions for timely review.

This, he argued, would move financial management from predominantly retrospective reporting towards continuous, risk-based and intelligence-driven assurance.

The position resonates with the broader direction of the conference. The Chief of Army Staff, Lt.-Gen. Waidi Shaibu, represented by Maj.-Gen. Garba Ibrahim who called for tighter financial controls, stronger accountability, digital auditing, financial analytics, cybersecurity and data-driven decision-making, stressing the connection between sound financial management, troop welfare and operational readiness.

From Digital Transactions to Digital Command

For Ugwunta, the ultimate objective is not technology for its own sake.

“The real measure of digital financial transformation should not be how many transactions we process electronically. The test is whether we can transform financial data into reliable information, reliable information into intelligence, and intelligence into informed and smart public financing decisions.”

He however supported the advocate for a phased and multistakeholder implementation approach.

The intervention reflects the convergence of Ugwunta’s academic and public-sector career. In addition to his role as Senior Lecturer at ESUT, he serves as Senior Adviser (Economic) at Thoughts & Mace Advisory and works as an Independent Consultant with UNICEF, Enugu Field Office on Public Finance for Children. His professional work spans public financial management, fiscal policy, economic planning, public debt accountability, governance and development finance.

His participation at the Nigerian Army Finance Corps Fifteenth Biennial Conference therefore represented more than an academic engagement. It demonstrated how lived experience in government can be translated into practical policy ideas for strengthening financial management beyond the environment in which that experience was acquired.

For Ugwunta, the journey is clear: From digital transactions, to digital financial management, and ultimately to digital Corp decision support.

The post From Budget to Decision: Ugwunta Brings Lived Public Finance Experience to Nigerian Army Finance Corps Digital Transformation Dialogue appeared first on ESUT Monitor.

By Iroh Faith

The National President of Nigeria Association for Health Educators (NAHE), Professor Shehu, has called for renewed efforts to strengthen Nigeria’s health education system through innovation.

Speaking at the opening ceremony of the association’s 28th Annual National Conference in Enugu, Professor Shehu welcomed participants from across the country to the conference, themed “Reimagining Health Education Building a Resilient System and Empowering Healthy Nations”

Professor Shehu described the conference critical in championing health education renaissance in the country
stating that it was the first time in the association’s 28-year history that its annual national conference was being hosted in Enugu, the Coal City State

On behalf of the association’s executive and members, he thanked the university for granting NAHE the opportunity to hold the conference in Enugu, saying that the warm reception and attractive environment had made a positive impression on the delegates.

The NAHE President urged participants to actively engage in the conference presentations, stating that many of the research papers submitted by academics and researchers contained valuable findings capable of addressing pressing health challenges in Nigeria.

According to him, the conference is exploring practical solutions for dealing with both communicable and non-communicable diseases, improving healthcare delivery through technology, and integrating indigenous knowledge and traditional practices into the country’s healthcare system.

Professor Shehu also thanked
the keynote speakers, lead paper presenters, and researchers for their contributions, urging them to focus their presentations on the conference theme.

He acknowledged the presence of delegates from several states, including Gombe, Yobe, Kwara, Ondo, Lagos, Delta, Edo, and Rivers and many more noting that their participation reflected a shared commitment to advancing health education in Nigeria.

He concluded by wishing participants a successful conference and stating that the discussions would contribute meaningfully to building a more resilient healthcare system in the country.

The four-day programmed ended on Saturday with delegates departing to their various institutions across the nation.

The post NAHE President Calls for Stronger Health Education System to Mitigate Emerging Issues appeared first on ESUT Monitor.

It also restructured the one-year scheme into 11 specialised skills-based streams, redesigned the orientation camp programme and uniform, and directed the amendment of the NYSC Act to give immediate legal effect to the changes.

This followed Monday’s Federal Executive Council meeting presided over by President Bola Tinubu at the Council Chamber of the State House, Abuja.

It is the first in three months since March 4, 2026, when the President swore in Inspector-General of Police Olatunji Disu.

Also on Monday, the Federal Government approved the establishment of a National Snakebite Research and Medical Centre in Kaltungo, Gombe State.

It also approved N128.29bn across five health and aviation projects, including the procurement of tuberculosis commodities worth N62bn, reproductive health drugs worth N25bn, 10 blood donation vans worth N6.9bn, and the construction of the Gboko airstrip in Benue State at N34.39bn.

Briefing State House correspondents after the meeting, the Minister of Youth Development, Ayodele Wisdom, said the reform process for the NYSC began in 2025 when a committee was constituted to carry out a full review of the scheme, adding that the outcome represented a fundamental repositioning of the NYSC from a mobilisation exercise into a platform for skills development, job creation, productivity and national growth.

He explained, “The NYSC was created in 1973 to promote national unity after the civil war. For 53 years, it has helped bring together Nigerian graduates and strengthen national unity. But today, our needs as a country have changed, and many expect the objectives of NYSC to also change.

“Our review found a number of challenges with NYSC, outdated laws, weak links between education and jobs, and concerns about the safety and welfare of corps members, among others.”

The minister noted that the Ministries of Youth Development and Education and the Office of the Special Adviser to the President on Policy and Coordination worked together to develop the reform framework, adding that the council was invited to ratify the framework, the new organisational structure, and the directive to begin amending the NYSC Act and related regulations.

The Special Adviser to the President on Policy and Coordination, Hadiza Bala-Usman, who has oversight of the reform implementation, described the move as the first holistic reform of the scheme in its 53-year history and linked the overhaul to the administration’s ambition of building a one-trillion-dollar economy.

She said, “One of the important things on the basis of which we decided to embark on this reform process is that there is a need for us to intervene to build the present ambition of a $1tn economy by repositioning NYSC as a civilian-led, skill-oriented, productivity-driven and youth-empowering national institution.

“Indeed, as mentioned, the NYSC has been in existence for 53 years, and this is the first time there has been a holistic reform.

“The reform areas speak to all the strategic aspects of NYSC, starting from the area of the main area of deployment, how you are registering, what modality is being used to post you to several states, how we are recognising the areas where we have security challenges.”

She said the reform now segments the NYSC into 11 distinct core streams, which every corps member will be required to select upon registration based on academic background and personal skills profile.

The streams are the Agriculture Core, the Medical Core, the Education Core, the Technology and Digital Core, the Legal Core, the Public Service Core, the Infrastructure Core, the Green Core, the Enterprise Core, the Creative Economy Core, and the Paramilitary and Security Core.

“When you come in as a youth corps member, you will now pick which stream you want to participate in. Once you have uploaded and been recognised and accepted as a corps member, you are required to pick one of those cores, and once you register in that, certain trainings will be given for each of those cores within the two weeks,” Usman explained.

The orientation camp programme, she revealed further, will be redesigned from its current format into a structured six-week curriculum divided into three distinct two-week phases.

“The first two weeks speak to laying a foundation on civic responsibility, you will be made aware of what civic duties mean, our national values and leadership development,

“The next two weeks will look at career mapping, basic accounting literacy skills, business planning and access to finance, how do we access finance and then we intend to introduce a structured career day programme to enable corps members to engage directly with the public.

“The final two weeks, we intend to have focused corps-stream-specific training aligned with the corps member’s designated stream based on his choice, his academic background and skills profile,” Usman said.

She noted that for streams requiring longer certification periods, such as the Digital Core, where relevant certifications may span three to six months, corps members would remain in structured training rather than being posted to primary assignment locations.

“We want them to have skills that will enable them to be self-employed,” she said.

The new management structure will be headed by a civilian Director-General, supported by three Executive Directors and a security directorate to be led by a military or paramilitary officer, she revealed.

Responding to questions on the security implications of removing military operational leadership, Usman argued that the arrangement will preserve the military’s core protective function while transferring administrative authority to civilian professionals.

She noted, “We recognise that NYSC is spread across the whole country, and security is a core aspect of ensuring the safety of our corps members.

“The safety aspect still remains with the military, but the operational leadership of NYSC will be civilian-led, while security will continue to be anchored and implemented by the Nigerian military.”

She also noted that the Passing-Out Parade will be redesigned and renamed as a graduation ceremony.

The NYSC uniform, she added, would also be overhauled to reflect a more professional identity while preserving its distinctive character.

Usman confirmed that the Attorney-General of the Federation, working with the Ministry of Youth Development, has been directed to amend the NYSC Act and related regulations to give immediate legal backing to the approved changes.

On brain drain, the Japa wave driving thousands of NYSC-age graduates abroad each year, she said the reform was designed to turn the challenge into an asset rather than simply try to stem the outflow.

According to her, “Brain drain is something that we cannot stop as a country. We’re looking to see how we can produce more graduates that will enable us to have more, and actually export and earn foreign exchange from the brain drain.

“What happened in India: they left, and now they are back to promote and support various areas within the tech industry; this is the model. The more we produce, the more we are able to retain and channel brain drain back into Nigeria’s development.”

The Punch Credited

The post JUST IN: FG Cancels NYSC Passing-out Parade, Extends Orientation to Six Weeks appeared first on ESUT Monitor.