The National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) has officially announced January 21, 2026, as the commencement date for the 2026 Batch ‘A’ Stream I Orientation Course, to be held simultaneously across all 37 NYSC Orientation Camps nationwide.
The announcement was made on Tuesday via the scheme’s official communication channels, outlining the full orientation timeline for prospective corps members.
According to the NYSC, camp registration will begin on Wednesday, January 21, and run until midnight on Friday, January 23, 2026. The Swearing-in Ceremony is scheduled for Friday, January 23, while the Closing Ceremony will take place on Tuesday, February 10, 2026, marking the conclusion of the mandatory three-week orientation programme.
The Director-General of NYSC, Brigadier General Olakunle Nafiu, urged prospective corps members to embark on their journeys early and avoid night travel, citing safety considerations. He also emphasised the importance of strict compliance with the orientation timetable to ensure a seamless and orderly exercise nationwide.
Established in 1973, the NYSC scheme remains a central pillar of Nigeria’s post-civil war nation-building framework, designed to promote national unity, social integration, and youth development.
The orientation camp serves as the foundational phase of the one-year national service programme. During this period, corps members undergo paramilitary drills, Skills Acquisition and Entrepreneurship Development (SAED) training, civic education, leadership lectures, and cultural activities aimed at fostering discipline, self-reliance, and cross-cultural understanding.
More than five decades on, the NYSC continues to play a strategic role in strengthening interpersonal relations among young Nigerians across ethnic, religious, and regional divides, while preparing them for active participation in national development.
