The Minister of Education, Olatunji Alausa, has called for the extension of the mandatory National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) scheme from one to two years
Alausa made the suggestion on Friday during a courtesy visit by the NYSC Director-General, Brigadier General Olakunle Nafiu, to his office in Abuja.
According to a statement shared on NYSC’s official Facebook page, the minister also proposed an expansion of the Skill Acquisition and Entrepreneurship Development (SAED) programme for corps members to better equip them for self-reliance.
“The minister also advocated for the extension of national service from one to two years, with the expansion of NYSC Skill Acquisition and Entrepreneurship Development Training programme content for corps members,” the statement read.
He further pushed for the deployment of more graduate teachers to rural areas to help address the shortage of manpower in those schools.
Alausa praised the NYSC for its proactive and digitalised mobilisation process, particularly its efforts to combat certificate racketeering among some foreign-trained graduates within West Africa.
He also commended the scheme for resolving the longstanding issue involving OND part-time graduates with full-time HND qualifications who were previously exempted from national service.
The minister revealed that the ministry is working on digitising the verification process for foreign-trained Nigerian graduates and promised a stronger collaboration between the Ministry and the NYSC to enhance education and national development.
“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,” Alausa said.
Earlier, NYSC DG Brig-Gen. Nafiu applauded the ministry’s progress in the education sector and called for the creation of a database to track Nigerian youths studying abroad. He said this would help identify fake graduates and ensure better regulation.
“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 stated.
Permanent Secretary of the Ministry, Abel Olumuyiwa Enitan, also reaffirmed the Ministry’s commitment to working closely with the NYSC to improve the standard of education across the country.
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