Education Minister Tunji Alausa has proposed extending the NYSC programme to two years to enhance youth skill development and entrepreneurship, with the NYSC expressing readiness to support the reform.
The proposal was made during a courtesy visit by NYSC Director-General, Olakunle Nafiu, to the minister in Abuja on Friday, April 4.
According to a statement released on Saturday, April 5, by NYSC’s Director of Public Relations, Caroline Embu, Alausa said the extension would allow the NYSC to deepen its Skill Acquisition and Entrepreneurship Development (SAED) training, enabling corps members to become self-reliant and contribute more effectively to national development.
“You’ve done excellently well as an organisation. Let’s give young Nigerians more opportunities to become job creators who can meet the country’s needs,” Alausa told Nafiu.
In response, the NYSC DG expressed readiness to align with any new federal government policies and confirmed ongoing reforms to ensure the scheme addresses current national priorities.
“We are working to reform the scheme to better reflect present national needs,” Nafiu said.
The minister also highlighted the ministry’s efforts to digitise the verification process for foreign-trained Nigerian graduates as part of a broader reform strategy to combat certificate fraud.
Additionally, Alausa emphasized the need for a stronger collaboration between the ministry and NYSC to enhance the role of education in national development.
Nafiu, on his part, suggested the creation of a comprehensive database to track Nigerian youths studying abroad for degree programmes.
