Education Minister Proposes Two-Year NYSC Extension

The Federal Ministry of Education is proposing to extend the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) programme from one year to two years, according to a statement released on Saturday by the NYSC’s Director of Press and Public Relations, Caroline Embu.

The proposal came to light after NYSC Director-General, Olakunle Nafiu, paid a courtesy visit to the Minister of Education, Tunji Alausa, in Abuja on Friday. The meeting is part of ongoing reforms aimed at strengthening the NYSC scheme and combating certificate fraud.

This initiative follows a 2024 federal investigation which exposed that around 22,789 individuals had submitted fake foreign degree certificates in a bid to participate in the NYSC. This discovery led to a nationwide crackdown and a series of corrective measures to restore integrity to the system.

Minister Alausa emphasized efforts by the ministry to digitize the verification process for foreign-trained graduates, while also praising the NYSC’s digital mobilisation system. He noted that this has played a vital role in reducing certificate fraud.

During the meeting, Alausa suggested that increasing the NYSC duration would create more room for expanding the Skill Acquisition and Entrepreneurship Development (SAED) programme. “You have done so well as an organisation. Let NYSC give people more opportunity to become job creators that will meet the needs of the country,” he said.

In response, DG Nafiu expressed the NYSC’s readiness to support the federal government’s initiatives. “We are also trying to reform the scheme to conform with the present national needs,” he stated.

He further proposed the establishment of a centralized database to monitor Nigerian students who travel abroad for undergraduate studies. Nafiu said this would help the government keep accurate records and reduce incidents of fake academic qualifications.