The Minister of Education, Dr. Maruf Olatunji Alausa’s proposal to extend the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) programme by one year has ignited widespread opposition across various sectors.
Stakeholders, including corps members, educators, students, and others, have voiced strong concerns over the potential impact on graduates and the country’s education system.
It will be recalled that Alausa, when the Director General of the National Youth Service Corps, Brigadier General Olakunle Nafiu, paid him a courtesy visit in his office in Abuja recently, advocated for the extension of national service from one to two years, with the expansion of the NYSC Skill Acquisition and Entrepreneurship Development Training programme for corps members.
“You have done so well as an organization. Let NYSC give people more opportunity to become job creators that will meet the needs of the country,” he was quoted as saying.
Reacting to the statement, stakeholders have said that extending the scheme is not the solution, but rather restructuring it.
An Abuja serving corps member, who identified herself as Hauwa, urged the government to ensure job creation for corps members after graduation.
While commending the federal government for recently approving N77,000 for corps members, she also called for an increase in due time, saying that corps members serving in places like Abuja and Lagos could hardly survive on the N77,000.
“Personally, I don’t agree with the idea of extending the service to two years; let the government rather restructure the scheme and make jobs available and loans available for corps members after service.”
Other Nigerians have also condemned the proposal, saying that it will complicate matters for corps members.
A concerned Nigerian, Babangida Musa Ibrahim, said, “I think calling for an extension is not the solution, but restructure the entire programme, replace it with vocational skills and job creation in specific disciplines. This will reduce unemployment among youth. Extending the programme to two years is wasting taxpayers’ money and wasting the youthful time of the youths.”
An educationist, Isaac Moji, said extending the NYSC from one to two years is not the solution. “What the government needs to do is have a meaningful discussion about abolishing or completely restructuring the programme to fit the 21st-century demands.
“The existing NYSC framework has turned into a drain on time and resources for many young Nigerians. After spending an entire year in national service, most corps members are left unemployed, without a clear career direction, and with no support system available.
“Rather than prolonging the programme, the government should prioritize generating long-term employment opportunities, enhancing education, and investing in skills development.
“The resources allocated to NYSC logistics, stipends, and infrastructure could be more effectively directed towards empowering youth through entrepreneurship, vocational training, and digital innovation,” he added.
LEADERSHIP reports that NYSC is a mandatory one-year programme established in Nigeria in 1973. Its primary goal is to foster national unity and development by bringing together graduates from all over the country to serve in regions different from their own, encouraging interaction and understanding among Nigeria’s diverse ethnic and cultural groups.
The NYSC was introduced by then-military Head of State, General Yakubu Gowon, shortly after the Nigerian Civil War (1967-1970) to promote reconciliation and peace across the country. The idea was that youth, by serving together in different parts of the country, would help bridge the divisions caused by the war, encouraging a sense of national unity and pride.
Currently, the scheme is compulsory for all Nigerian graduates under the age of 30, requiring them to serve in a state or region other than their own.
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