Education Minister Advocates Extension of NYSC Scheme to Two Years

The Minister of Education, Olatunji Alausa, has proposed extending the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) scheme to two years.

Alausa made the call on Friday during a courtesy visit by NYSC Director-General, Brigadier General Olakunle Nafiu.

According to a statement posted on NYSC’s official Facebook page, Alausa also sought expansion of skills training programmes.

He urged NYSC to strengthen the Skill Acquisition and Entrepreneurship Development Training Programme for greater corps members’ empowerment.

The minister stressed the importance of deploying more graduate teachers to rural schools to bridge critical educational manpower gaps.

He praised NYSC’s digital mobilisation efforts aimed at reducing certificate fraud among foreign-trained Nigerian graduates within West Africa.

Alausa also applauded the NYSC’s resolution of issues involving OND part-time graduates pursuing full-time HND programmes without exemption.

He revealed ongoing efforts to digitise the verification process for Nigerian foreign-trained graduates to improve service delivery nationwide.

“The NYSC has done well. Let’s equip corps members as job creators who address national economic needs,” he said.

Speaking earlier, Brigadier General Nafiu praised the Education Ministry’s innovations and achievements within Nigeria’s dynamic and evolving education sector.

He proposed establishing a comprehensive database for Nigerian youths studying abroad to tackle issues of fake degree holders.

Nafiu emphasized NYSC’s readiness to align with new government policies and reform the scheme to meet national demands.

The Permanent Secretary, Federal Ministry of Education, Abel Olumuyiwa Enitan, affirmed continued collaboration with NYSC for educational advancement.

He assured that both institutions would work together to improve the education sector’s quality, inclusivity, and overall service delivery.

The meeting highlighted the Federal Government’s commitment to using NYSC strategically for national development and youth empowerment initiatives.

Meanwhile, ongoing NYSC reforms aim to ensure that corps members become self-reliant contributors to Nigeria’s economic transformation journey.

The government remains committed to creating more practical and beneficial opportunities for Nigerian youths through improved national service programmes.

Both NYSC and the Ministry of Education pledged to enhance education, youth skills, and community development efforts nationwide.