In a bold move to strengthen youth empowerment and job creation, the Federal Government has proposed the extension of the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) programme from one year to two years.
The proposal aims to deepen skills acquisition among graduates and reinforce the NYSC Skill Acquisition and Entrepreneurship Development (SAED) programme, equipping corps members with practical knowledge that can foster self-reliance and national development.
This was revealed during a courtesy visit by the Director-General of NYSC, Brigadier General Olakunle Nafiu, to the Minister of Education, Dr. Maruf Olatunji Alausa, in Abuja.
According to a statement signed by Caroline Embu, Acting Director of Information and Public Relations for the NYSC, the proposal was part of broader discussions on reforming the scheme to align with contemporary realities.
“You have done so well as an organization,” said Dr. Alausa. “Let NYSC give people more opportunity to become job creators that will meet the needs of the country.”
The Minister praised NYSC’s adoption of digital strategies in its mobilisation process, saying it has significantly curtailed certificate racketeering, especially among foreign-trained graduates from the West African sub-region.
He also lauded the scheme for addressing the lingering challenge faced by OND part-time graduates who eventually earn full-time HND qualifications but had been previously exempted from the national service.
Dr. Alausa said, “Efforts are on-going in the Ministry to digitize the verification of foreign-trained graduates of Nigerian origin,” stressing that collaboration between the NYSC and the Ministry of Education will be further strengthened for improved educational development.
In a related appeal, the Minister called for the deployment of more graduate teachers to underserved rural schools. “This would fill the manpower gap in the schools,” he noted.
In his remarks, Brigadier General Nafiu expressed NYSC’s readiness to align with national policy direction and reforms.
“NYSC is ready to comply with policy guidelines as directed by the Federal Government,” he said. “We are also trying to reform the Scheme to conform with the present national needs.”
The NYSC boss also advocated for the creation of a centralized, verifiable database of Nigerian students abroad.
“This would help the government and stakeholders in the education sector to have detailed records of Nigerian students abroad and eliminate fake graduates,” he stated.
The Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Education, Mr. Abel Olumuyiwa Enitan, reaffirmed the Ministry’s commitment to a strengthened partnership with the NYSC.
“We are ready to work with NYSC more effectively towards uplifting the standard of education in the country,” he added.
