The Nigerian government has proposed extending the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) program from one year to two years to enhance skill acquisition and address youth unemployment.
This proposal includes expanding the NYSC Skill Acquisition and Entrepreneurship Development (SAED) program to better equip corps members with practical skills for job creation and national development.
The development was disclosed during a courtesy visit by the NYSC Director General, Brigadier General Olakunle Nafiu, to the Minister of Education, Dr. Maruf Olatunji Alausa, in Abuja.
A statement signed by Caroline Embu, Acting Director of Information and Public Relations at NYSC, outlined the key discussions from the meeting.
Government’s Perspective
Commending the NYSC’s efforts, Dr. Alausa emphasized the need for the program to create more job opportunities for Nigerian youths.
“You have done well as an organization. Let NYSC provide more opportunities for young people to become job creators and contribute to national development,” he stated.
He also lauded the NYSC’s digitized approach to mobilization, which has helped curb certificate racketeering among foreign-trained graduates in West Africa.
Additionally, he praised the Scheme for resolving the long-standing issue of Ordinary National Diploma (OND) part-time graduates who later obtain Higher National Diploma (HND) full-time qualifications but were previously exempted from service.
Dr. Alausa revealed ongoing efforts by the Ministry to digitize the verification of foreign-trained Nigerian graduates, enhancing transparency in the education sector.
Strengthening Collaboration
The Minister advocated for deploying more graduate teachers to rural schools to address the shortage of qualified educators.
Brigadier General Nafiu reiterated the NYSC’s commitment to aligning with national policies and reforms, stating:
“NYSC is ready to comply with government policies and reform the Scheme to meet the country’s present needs.”
He also urged the government to create a comprehensive database of Nigerian youths studying abroad to track academic records and prevent fraudulent certificates.
Permanent Secretary of the Ministry, Mr. Abel Olumuyiwa Enitan, assured continued collaboration with NYSC to improve education and national development.
“We are committed to working more closely with the NYSC to enhance educational standards in Nigeria,” he affirmed.
