In a sweeping policy proposal aimed at curbing the rising tide of youth unemployment and fostering job creation, the Nigerian government has revealed plans to extend the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) programme from one year to two years.
The move, which is generating nationwide buzz, was unveiled during a strategic courtesy visit by the Director General of NYSC, Brigadier General Olakunle Akinyemi Nafiu, to the Minister of Education, Dr. Maruf Olatunji Alausa, in Abuja. According to officials, the extension is not merely a time increase but part of a broader, ambitious reform to deepen skill acquisition through an expanded Skill Acquisition and Entrepreneurship Development (SAED) programme.
A statement issued by Caroline Embu, Acting Director of Information and Public Relations for the NYSC, shed light on the meeting’s high-level deliberations. The Minister of Education, Dr. Alausa, commended NYSC’s digital transformation and its efforts to sanitize the mobilisation process, especially in curbing certificate racketeering among foreign-trained graduates in West Africa.
“You have done remarkably well as an organisation,” Dr. Alausa said. “Let the NYSC give our young people more opportunities to become job creators—people who can meet the developmental needs of our country.”
The proposed reform includes a renewed push to resolve longstanding issues—such as the previous exemption of Ordinary National Diploma (OND) part-time graduates who later obtain full-time Higher National Diploma (HND) qualifications. The Minister revealed ongoing efforts to digitise the verification of foreign-trained graduates, a move expected to enhance the integrity of the national service system.
Significantly, the government is also pushing for increased deployment of graduate teachers to rural schools. “This would fill the manpower gap in underserved areas and ensure quality education reaches every corner of Nigeria,” Dr. Alausa added.
Brigadier General Nafiu, in his remarks, affirmed the NYSC’s readiness to adapt to national policy shifts. “NYSC is committed to reforming the scheme to align with Nigeria’s evolving development priorities,” he stated.
He also advocated for the creation of a comprehensive database of Nigerian students studying abroad—a tool he said would help track academic progress and eliminate fake qualifications.
Also speaking, the Permanent Secretary of the Education Ministry, Mr. Abel Olumuyiwa Enitan, pledged continued synergy between the Ministry and the NYSC, emphasizing that the partnership would play a pivotal role in revamping the country’s education architecture.
With unemployment among Nigeria’s youth at a critical level, this bold NYSC proposal could mark a turning point—not only extending the service year but transforming it into a launchpad for entrepreneurship, skill mastery, and national progress.
PIONEER NEWS 