NYSC Reform: Ambassador Idahosa Pushes DiasporaCorps to Tackle ‘Japa’ Wave

Mary Nnah

Governor of the National Youth Council of Nigeria-Diaspora (NYCN-Diaspora), Collins Idahosa, is pushing for a major overhaul of the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC).
He is proposing a sixth service pathway that will enable Nigerians studying or employed abroad to complete a portion of their mandatory national service overseas before coming back to finish in Nigeria.

The new initiative, called DiasporaCorps, is meant to reframe Nigeria’s rising “Japa” trend into what the group calls “structured, accredited brain circulation.”

Under the plan, qualified Nigerian graduates abroad would spend up to six months on organized professional service with approved foreign institutions. They would then return to Nigeria for a minimum of six more months to complete service.

The Nigeria-based portion would cover the mandatory three-week orientation camp, Skills Acquisition and Entrepreneurship Development (SAED) training, and Community Development Service (CDS). After that, participants would be issued the regular NYSC Certificate of National Service.

The proposal is outlined in a policy document titled, “Making National Youth Service International: Introducing DiasporaCorps: A Proposal to Extend Nigeria’s National Youth Service Corps to Nigerians Studying and Working Abroad, and Reverse the ‘Japa’ Brain Drain.”

The document was authored by Ambassador Collins Idahosa of the Office of the Legal Adviser, National Youth Council of Nigeria —Diaspora (NYCN-Diaspora), under the leadership of Jennifer Obaseki, and was released on August 9, 2026.

It has already been forwarded to the Federal Government, the Federal Ministry of Youth Development, the NYSC Reform Committee, Nigerians in Diaspora Commission (NiDCOM), and the National Assembly.

NYCN-Diaspora said the idea stems from the increasing exodus of skilled Nigerian professionals, adding that Nigeria needs a system to stay connected to citizens gaining work experience overseas.

The group noted that the current review of the NYSC Act presents a window to introduce DiasporaCorps as the scheme’s sixth stream.

The policy paper recalled that in June 2026, the Federal Executive Council approved a reform framework with five specialized streams — TechCorp, EduCorp, MediCorp, AgriCorp and GreenCorp — plus digital service options and a N2 billion Innovation Fund.

Idahosa said DiasporaCorps would align with those reforms by giving Nigerians abroad a structured way to serve Nigeria without dropping their foreign studies and career obligations.

“DiasporaCorps would enable eligible Nigerians studying or working overseas to commence their national service abroad via a structured placement with an approved host organisation, before returning to Nigeria to complete the rest of their service year and get full formal recognition for the work done,” the paper stated.

The organisation emphasized that the plan does not grant exemption from national service.

It drew a clear line between DiasporaCorps and earlier proposals that suggested foreign-trained graduates could pay a fee instead of serving — a proposal rejected by the House of Representatives in 2023.

“Unlike earlier proposals that sought to allow foreign-trained graduates to pay a fee in lieu of service, proposals the House of Representatives rejected in 2023, DiasporaCorps exempts no one from service,” it stated.

“Every participant must return to Nigeria, attend orientation camp, and complete Community Development Service. The overseas phase simply turns brain drain into structured, accredited brain circulation.”

One major safeguard is a three-year non-poaching clause to stop foreign organisations in the programme from permanently recruiting Nigerian graduates.

Foreign government agencies, hospitals, universities, multinationals and NGOs interested in joining would have to be screened by NYSC and Nigerian diplomatic missions.

They would also pay yearly registration fees and submit placement curricula for approval.

Under the arrangement, host organisations and affiliates would be barred from offering corps members jobs, visa sponsorship or further-study sponsorship for three years after the placement ends.

“Host organisations must register, pay a participation fee, and undergo vetting, and are contractually barred from employing or sponsoring a corps member for three years after placement ends,” the paper stated.

It described the clause as a non-poaching measure intended to make overseas exposure “a structured pathway home rather than an exit route.”

Any organisation that breaches the rule risks losing its fees, being delisted permanently from the host register, and paying financial penalties into a proposed NYSC Diaspora Fund.

The policy paper described the steady migration of skilled Nigerians as a serious economic problem.

It noted that more than 1.3 million Nigerian professionals left the country between 2020 and 2024, while an estimated 15,000 to 16,000 doctors were lost to migration within five years.

It also referenced figures showing that 8,560 Nigerian doctors were registered in the United Kingdom between 2021 and 2024, accounting for 39 per cent of all international registrations.

Even though remittances to Nigeria hit about $20.9 billion in 2023, the group argued that money sent home cannot replace the expertise and productivity lost to migration.

“Every graduate who leaves and does not return represents a permanent transfer of human capital to another economy,” the paper stated.

It also cited research indicating that 71 per cent of young Nigerians surveyed would relocate abroad if given the chance, while 85 per cent would do so if they had the resources.

NYCN-Diaspora proposed launching DiasporaCorps with a pilot in the United Kingdom, United States and Canada within 6 to 18 months of legislative approval.

Between 50 and 100 foreign organisations would be screened initially, with 500 to 1,000 Nigerian graduates taking part in the pilot.

The scheme would then roll out to more countries between 18 and 36 months, with the goal of opening it to all eligible Nigerian graduates abroad by year three.

The policy also calls for yearly publication of programme outcome data to track impact.

For smooth implementation, NYCN-Diaspora proposed setting up a DiasporaCorps Directorate within NYSC.

The directorate would collaborate with NiDCOM and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, while Nigerian embassies and high commissions would assist with rollout in host countries.

An upgraded Foreign Mobilisation portal would also be created to manage registration, placement and monitoring.

To further encourage return, NYCN-Diaspora proposed a Federal and State Apprenticeship Programme to run alongside DiasporaCorps.

The programme would feature a Graduate and Professional Track for returning graduates, including DiasporaCorps participants, with placements in federal and state MDAs.

A separate Vocational Track would serve young Nigerians, including non-graduates, focusing on skilled trades that meet national standards.

The paper suggested matching placements to government skills gaps, with certification done in partnership with the National Board for Technical Education (NBTE) and relevant professional bodies.

“Together, DiasporaCorps and the Apprenticeship Programme turn returning home from an obligation into an opportunity,” it stated.

NYCN-Diaspora said rolling out DiasporaCorps would require amendments to the NYSC Act to accommodate the split-service model, overseas host registry and non-poaching framework.

It stressed that fees paid by foreign host organisations should not be seen as payment for exemption from service.

“The amendment should state explicitly that no payment buys exemption from service, host fees fund registration and administration only,” it stated.

The group also advised that overseas placements should operate within participants’ existing study or work visa terms and comply with Nigeria’s Data Protection Act 2023 and applicable laws in host countries.

Making the case for reform, NYCN-Diaspora said Nigeria’s problem is not a lack of talent, but its failure to retain and reconnect with Nigerians building skills and experience abroad.

“Nigeria does not lack talent; it is losing talent faster than almost any comparable nation,” the paper stated.

It noted that NYSC was designed when most young Nigerians studied and worked locally, while migration, foreign education and global jobs have now changed the landscape.

“The NYSC was built for a generation that studied and worked at home. Making national youth service international updates that promise for today’s world,” it said.

NYCN-Diaspora urged the Federal Ministry of Youth Development and the NYSC Reform Committee to include DiasporaCorps in the proposed NYSC Act amendments, mandate NYSC and NiDCOM to draft host registration procedures and standard contracts, fund digital infrastructure through the Innovation Fund, and begin talks with priority partner countries.

It also called for urgent work on the Federal and State Apprenticeship Programme to run in tandem with DiasporaCorps.