Esther Salifu
Minister of Education, Dr. Maruf Olatunji Alausa, has suggested extending the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) program from one year to two years. This proposal aims to equip Nigerian youths with practical skills, making them job creators rather than job seekers.
Dr. Alausa made this proposal during a courtesy visit by the new NYSC Director-General, Brigadier General Olakunle Nafiu, to his office in Abuja where he emphasized the need to expand the NYSC Skill Acquisition and Entrepreneurship Development (SAED) program, allowing corps members to develop valuable skills and become self-reliant.
“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,” Dr. Alausa said.
The minister also commended NYSC for adopting a digitalized mobilization process, which has helped curb certificate racketeering among some foreign-trained graduates.
He further addressed the issue of OND part-time graduates who obtain full-time HND certificates but are excluded from national service, describing it as a lingering concern that requires attention. Brigadier General Nafiu praised the minister’s leadership and innovations in the education sector, also calling for the creation of a national database to track Nigerian youths studying abroad .
