The Federal Government of Nigeria has announced a proposal to extend the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) scheme from its current one-year duration to two years. The proposed extension aims to intensify the Scheme’s impact on youth development, particularly in the area of skills acquisition and entrepreneurship.
This development was revealed during a courtesy visit by the Director General of NYSC, Brigadier General Olakunle Akinyemi Nafiu, to the Federal Ministry of Education in Abuja. The meeting, hosted by the Minister of Education, Dr. Maruf Olatunji Alausa, focused on deepening the role of the NYSC in national development.
A statement issued by the Acting Director of Information and Public Relations in NYSC, Caroline Embu, outlined the highlights of the discussions.
Dr. Alausa, in his remarks, commended the NYSC for its significant contributions to national development, particularly its efforts to empower Nigerian youths. He emphasized the importance of transforming corps members into job creators who can actively contribute to the country’s socio-economic advancement. “Let NYSC give people more opportunity to become job creators that will meet the needs of the country,” the Minister stated.
The proposed extension of the NYSC scheme includes an expansion of the existing Skill Acquisition and Entrepreneurship Development (SAED) programme. This is intended to better equip corps members with practical skills necessary for self-reliance, job creation, and nation-building.
Dr. Alausa also praised the NYSC for its digital transformation, particularly in its mobilisation process. He noted that the digitisation of the system has significantly curtailed certificate racketeering among some foreign-trained Nigerian graduates in West Africa. He highlighted that the Ministry is making concerted efforts to fully digitise the verification process for foreign-trained Nigerian graduates, ensuring greater integrity and transparency.
Furthermore, the Minister acknowledged the NYSC’s role in resolving the issue concerning Ordinary National Diploma (OND) part-time graduates who later obtain Higher National Diploma (HND) qualifications through full-time studies. Previously, these individuals were often excluded from the NYSC scheme, but recent reforms have addressed the issue, thereby promoting inclusiveness.
In a bid to strengthen educational development, Dr. Alausa advocated for the deployment of more graduate teachers to rural areas, stressing that such efforts would help fill the persistent manpower gaps in underserved communities.
Speaking during the visit, Brigadier General Olakunle Nafiu reaffirmed the NYSC’s commitment to aligning its operations with national reforms and development goals. He assured that the scheme is ready to implement any directives issued by the Federal Government to improve its impact. “NYSC is ready to comply with policy guidelines as directed by the Federal Government. We are also trying to reform the Scheme to conform with the present national needs,” he said.
Brigadier General Nafiu also urged the government to create a unified database for Nigerian youths studying overseas. He argued that such a database would provide accurate records of Nigerian students abroad, help identify legitimate graduates, and eliminate the scourge of fake academic credentials.
In his remarks, the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Education, Mr. Abel Olumuyiwa Enitan, expressed the Ministry’s willingness to collaborate more closely with the NYSC. He reaffirmed the government’s commitment to strengthening partnerships aimed at enhancing the quality of education across the country.
“We are ready to work with NYSC more effectively towards uplifting the standard of education in the country,” he stated.
The proposed two-year NYSC initiative is expected to undergo further deliberations and stakeholder consultations before implementation.
