The Federal Government is considering extending the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) programme from one year to two years to better equip Nigerian graduates for national development and economic self-reliance.
Minister of Education, Dr. Maruf Olatunji Alausa, made the disclosure on Friday while receiving the new NYSC Director-General, Brigadier General Olakunle Akinyemi Nafiu, at the ministry’s headquarters in Abuja.
According to Dr. Alausa, the proposed extension would allow for a more robust implementation of the NYSC Skill Acquisition and Entrepreneurship Development (SAED) programme.
“Extending the NYSC duration gives us a unique opportunity to deepen skill acquisition and empower our youths to become job creators, not job seekers,” the minister said. “You have done so well as an organization. Let NYSC give people more opportunities to become job creators who will meet the needs of the country.”
He emphasized that aligning the NYSC scheme with the federal government’s broader economic and developmental goals is essential in addressing the nation’s youth unemployment and underemployment challenges.
Dr. Alausa also commended the Corps for its digital mobilization process, noting that it had significantly curbed certificate fraud among foreign-trained graduates, particularly from West Africa.
On the matter of OND part-time graduates who eventually obtain full-time HND certificates but are currently ineligible for national service, the minister described the issue as “long-standing and deserving urgent attention.”
In his remarks, Brigadier General Nafiu expressed support for the minister’s reform-oriented agenda and pledged to work closely with the education ministry.
“We are on the same page when it comes to transforming the NYSC into a stronger tool for nation-building,” he said.
The NYSC boss also proposed the establishment of a national database to track Nigerian students studying abroad, saying such a system would help resolve persistent issues around verifying foreign academic credentials.
