Minister of Education, Dr. Tunji Alausa, has announced a bold new proposal that could see the extension of the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) program from its current duration of one year to a total of two years.
The minister revealed this initiative during his official visit to the NYSC headquarters in Abuja, stating that the recommendation is part of a comprehensive reform strategy to address deep-rooted issues such as the widespread use of fake degree certificates and to elevate the quality of the national service scheme.
Dr. Alausa’s statement follows the shocking revelations from a 2024 federal investigation, which uncovered that close to 23,000 Nigerians gained entrance into the NYSC program using counterfeit foreign academic certificates. This alarming discovery has prompted urgent calls for tighter regulations and improved verification systems within the scheme.
To address this challenge, Dr. Alausa emphasized the need to digitize the NYSC mobilization process entirely. He believes that a tech-driven, digital approach to enrollment and verification will play a critical role in curbing certificate fraud and enhancing the transparency and credibility of the scheme.
Furthermore, he proposed that extending the service year would give corps members adequate time to benefit meaningfully from the Skill Acquisition and Entrepreneurship Development (SAED) program. According to him, the current one-year duration limits the effectiveness of the SAED initiative, whereas a two-year structure would enable young Nigerians to gain hands-on entrepreneurial skills and practical training, preparing them to become self-reliant job creators.
In response, the NYSC Director-General, Olakunle Nafiu, voiced strong support for the minister’s proposal. He agreed that the program’s extension would enhance the capacity of corps members to gain valuable skills and experience that are critical for national development and economic empowerment.
Nafiu added that the SAED program, if properly integrated into an extended service year, could significantly reduce youth unemployment and foster a new generation of entrepreneurs who can drive innovation and productivity across various sectors of the economy.
He also stressed the significance of ongoing structural reforms within the NYSC, particularly the adoption of a robust digital verification mechanism. This system is expected to ensure only eligible graduates with authentic qualifications are mobilized for national service.
In addition to the digital overhaul, Nafiu proposed the creation of a centralized, comprehensive database to monitor Nigerian students studying overseas. This, he explained, would ensure that only candidates with genuine foreign degrees are granted access to the NYSC program, ultimately protecting the integrity of the national scheme and reinforcing public trust in its operations.