Tinubu's Govt Mulls Extension of NYSC To 2 Years, Reasons Emerge
- The Minister of State for Education, Dr. Yusuf Alausa, has proposed extending the NYSC scheme from one to two years to enhance skills training and national impact
- The minister also recommended expanding the NYSC entrepreneurship programme and deploying more graduate teachers to rural schools to bridge manpower gaps
- NYSC Director-General Brig. Gen. Y.D. Ahmed pledged the Scheme’s readiness to implement federal reforms and called for a database to track Nigerians studying abroad
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FCT, Abuja - The federal government may soon extend the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) scheme from one to two years.
This is following calls by the Minister of State for Education, Dr. Yusuf Olatunji Alausa, during a courtesy visit by the Director-General of NYSC, Brigadier General Yusha’u Dogara Ahmed, to his office in Abuja.
Source: Twitter
According to a statement released on the official NYSC Facebook page, Dr. Alausa emphasized the need to reform and expand the scope of the service year, particularly in terms of entrepreneurship training and manpower support for rural schools.
“I believe NYSC can do more than it currently does. Extending it to two years will allow corps members to acquire real, useful skills and give back meaningfully to the society,” Alausa said.
More skills, more impact
A key proposal in the minister’s remarks was the expansion of the NYSC’s Skill Acquisition and Entrepreneurship Development (SAED) programme.
According to him, an extended service year would provide more time for corps members to become self-reliant and job creators, Punch reported.
“Let NYSC give people more opportunities to become job creators that will meet the needs of the country,” Alausa added.
He also called for the deployment of more graduate teachers to rural communities, a move he said would help close the widening manpower gap in underserved schools.
Crackdown on certificate racketeering
The Minister commended NYSC for improving its mobilisation process, especially in curbing certificate fraud involving foreign-trained graduates within West Africa.
He said the Ministry of Education was working to digitise the verification of such certificates to eliminate loopholes.
He praised NYSC’s efforts in addressing the long-standing issue of OND part-time graduates with full-time HND certificates who were previously excluded from service, Vanguard reported.
NYSC vows compliance with reforms
In response, the NYSC DG, Brigadier General Ahmed, expressed support for the proposed reforms and affirmed the Scheme’s readiness to align with federal government policy changes, Vanguard reported.
“NYSC is ready to comply with policy guidelines as directed by the Federal Government. We are also trying to reform the scheme to conform with present national needs,” he stated.
The DG also proposed the creation of a database to track Nigerian youths studying abroad, saying it would assist in identifying fake academic credentials.
The Permanent Secretary of, Federal Ministry of Education, Mr. Abel Olumuyiwa Enitan, reiterated the Ministry’s commitment to deeper collaboration with NYSC for the benefit of the nation’s education sector.
Analyst counters FG, calls for overhaul of NYSC scheme, not extension
Source: Twitter
Samuel Peter Aye, Deputy Speaker of the Youth Parliament, in an exclusive interview with Legit.ng on Sunday, April 6, said:
“While the proposal to extend NYSC to two years may be well-intentioned, what Nigerian youths need right now is not just a longer service year but a better one.
“This government must focus on strengthening the current NYSC structure before considering any extension. Our youths are already grappling with rising unemployment, inflation, and a harsh economy.
"Increasing the duration of NYSC without addressing the welfare, safety, and job placement opportunities of corps members would only stretch their suffering."
Aye emphasized the need for a holistic reform that prioritizes skill-building, post-service job access, and better incentives for service in rural communities.
He noted that entrepreneurship training under the scheme should be tailored to the realities of the labor market, with real funding and mentorship attached.
“Let’s not use NYSC extension as a cosmetic fix to deeper socio-economic problems. If we’re serious about empowering the youth, then the government must tackle the spate of hardship in the country with the urgency it deserves,” he concluded.
Peter Obi rallies support for corps member
Legit.ng also reported that Peter Obi, the Labour Party’s 2023 presidential candidate, had publicly criticized the Nigerian government and the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) for their alleged threats against a corps member, Ushie Rita Uguamaye, known as Raye, who voiced concerns about the country’s economic struggles.
In a post on X dated March 16, 2025, Obi described the incident as part of a disturbing pattern of suppressing dissent, drawing parallels to his own experiences of harassment for speaking out.
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Source: Legit.ng
