FG mulls extension of NYSC Program to Two Years

The Minister of Education, Dr. Maruf Olatunji Alausa, has proposed the extension of the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) programme from one year to two years.

He said the move would better prepare Nigerian youths for national development and improve their prospects of becoming self-reliant.

Dr. Alausa made the suggestion on Friday during a courtesy visit by the new NYSC Director-General, Brigadier General Olakunle Akinyemi Nafiu, at the ministry’s headquarters in Abuja.

According to the minister, lengthening the duration of the service year would provide more time to enhance the NYSC Skill Acquisition and Entrepreneurship Development (SAED) programme. He said the extended period would help Corps Members develop valuable skills, become job creators, and contribute meaningfully to the country’s economy.

“You have done so well as an organization. Let NYSC give people more opportunities to become job creators who will meet the needs of the country,” Alausa said, stressing the need to align the NYSC with Nigeria’s broader economic and developmental goals.

The minister also praised NYSC for adopting a digital mobilization process, noting that it had helped tackle certificate fraud, especially among foreign-trained graduates from the West African sub-region.

Dr. Alausa further addressed concerns over the exclusion of OND part-time graduates who later earn full-time HND certificates from participating in national service. He described the matter as a long-standing issue that deserves urgent review.

In response, Brigadier General Nafiu applauded the minister’s reforms and vision for the education sector.

He also suggested the creation of a national database to track Nigerian students studying abroad, which he said would help resolve challenges related to verifying foreign academic credentials.