Education Minister Calls For NYSC To Be Extended To Two Years

The National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) has announced that the Federal Ministry of Education is suggesting an increase in the duration of national service from one year to two years.

This suggestion was disclosed in a statement released on Saturday by Caroline Embu, the NYSC’s Director of Press and Public Relations.

The announcement came after a meeting on Friday in Abuja between NYSC Director-General Olakunle Nafiu and the Minister of Education, Tunji Alausa. The visit is part of wider reform initiatives focused on addressing certificate racketeering and enhancing the credibility of the NYSC programme.

In 2024, a federal probe discovered that around 22,789 Nigerians had presented fraudulent foreign degree certificates to participate in the NYSC programme. This finding sparked a nationwide effort to crack down on such practices and introduce reforms to cleanse the system.

Alausa emphasized the ministry’s current work to digitize the verification process for Nigerian graduates trained abroad. He also praised the NYSC for digitizing its mobilization process, noting that this step has greatly reduced instances of certificate fraud.

During the discussion, the education minister reportedly pushed for extending the NYSC service period to two years, arguing that it would enable the expansion of the Skill Acquisition and Entrepreneurship Development (SAED) programme for corps members. “You have done so well as an organisation. Let NYSC give people more opportunity to become job creators that will meet the needs of the country,” Alausa said during the meeting.

In response to the suggestion, the NYSC DG reiterated the scheme’s dedication to following federal government instructions. “We are also trying to reform the scheme to conform with the present national needs,” Nafiu stated.

He further proposed establishing a centralized database to monitor Nigerian youths studying undergraduate programs overseas. He explained that such a system would offer the government an accurate record of students and assist in reducing the occurrence of fake graduates.

A Gentle Reminder: Every obstacle is a stepping stone, every morning; a chance to go again, and those little steps take you closer to your dream.

Nnamdi Okoli