Minister Proposes Two Years For NYSC Scheme

The Minister of Education, Dr. Maruf Olatunji Alausa, has proposed the extension of the mandatory National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) programme from one year to two years, with a strengthened focus on Skill Acquisition and Entrepreneurship Development (SAED) for corps members.

Dr. Alausa made the proposal when the Director-General of the NYSC, Brigadier-General Olakunle Akinyemi Nafiu, paid him a courtesy visit in Abuja.

According to a statement published on the NYSC’s official Facebook page, the Minister also recommended the deployment of more graduate teachers to underserved rural communities. He noted that such action would help bridge the manpower deficit in schools located in remote areas.

Commending the scheme’s management for its proactive measures, Alausa lauded the digitalisation of NYSC’s mobilisation process, aimed at curbing certificate fraud, especially among foreign-trained graduates within the West African region.

He also praised the Corps for resolving the lingering challenge that previously exempted OND part-time graduates with full-time HNDs from the national service scheme.

The Minister further revealed that the ministry was working towards the digital verification of foreign-trained Nigerian graduates. He assured that the Federal Ministry of Education would continue to collaborate with the NYSC in its efforts to enhance the standard of education across the country.

“You have done so well as an organisation. Let NYSC give people more opportunities to become job creators that will meet the needs of the country,” he stated.

In his remarks, the NYSC Director-General, Brigadier-General Nafiu, applauded the Ministry’s reforms and innovative strides in the education sector. He called for the creation of a comprehensive database of Nigerian students studying abroad, adding that it would assist the government and other stakeholders in verifying credentials and eliminating fake graduates.

“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.

Also speaking, the Permanent Secretary of the Federal Ministry of Education, Mr. Abel Olumuyiwa Enitan, pledged the Ministry’s commitment to supporting NYSC in its mandate to improve education and national development.

The Minister’s proposal marks a significant shift in the structure of the national service scheme, which has operated as a one-year mandatory programme for Nigerian graduates since its inception in 1973.