Nigeria government don approve complete reform for National Youth Service Corps (NYSC), wey be compulsory for every graduate wey finish first degree. Dis change come 53 years after dem create di programme.
Minister of Youth Development, Ayodele Olawande, wey announce di changes, say dem do am to shift di focus of NYSC to skill development and entrepreneurship, wit di aim of creating jobs for Nigerian youths.
NYSC na dem establish am for 1973 after Nigerian civil war, to promote national unity by sending graduates to states outside their own for one year to do services wey go help develop di nation.
Wetin go change for di programme? One of di most important changes na di leadership structure. Originally, military officers dey lead di programme, but from now, civilian go take over di management of di programme. Dem announce say military go still dey provide security for corps members across di country.
Special adviser to di president on policy, Hadiza Bala Usman, explain say dis change from military to civilian leadership no go reduce di role of military in ensuring security for di programme. She say, “Security of NYSC officials and corps members go still be responsibility of Nigerian military, wetin go change na di leadership of NYSC, wey now go be under civilian, while military go continue to provide necessary security materials for di success of di programme.”
Dis na big change from how things dey before, as di programme don dey under military leadership since dem create am for 1973. But dis change go require amendment to di NYSC law before e go take effect.
Di duration of orientation camp go extend from three weeks to six weeks. Government dey plan to introduce six-week training programme wey go focus on leadership, business, and digital technology skills. While dem go still do military drills and physical exercises, dem go expand di curriculum to make sure graduates fit face di challenges of finding job.
Hadiza Bala Usman say dem go redesign di orientation camp into three stages. First two weeks go focus on character development, patriotism, and leadership skills among youths. Next two weeks go focus on skill acquisition, financial literacy, and how to get and manage investments. Last two weeks go be for special training on business or trade wey di corps member choose.
Under di new system, during registration for orientation camp, corps members go choose one from 11 skill and entrepreneurship areas wey dem develop. Di areas include: agriculture, health, education, science and digital technology, legal studies, community service, infrastructure, environmental improvement, business studies, creative economy, and security.
One criticism wey dem don dey make against NYSC na di mismatch between wetin corps members study for university and di places dem dey post dem to work under di programme. According to government, from now dem go post corps members to places where dem go gain experience wey match their field of study. Dem think say if dem implement dis well, e go improve satisfaction and skill acquisition for workplace, and e go boost chances of getting job after di programme.
For recent years, security problem don be one of di major challenges affecting NYSC. Under di new system, dem go consider security issues when posting corps members to states and regions. Although government no announce di new method of distribution, dis mean say security condition go play important role for where dem go send corps members.
Dis change dey aim to reduce di risk wey corps members face for some areas due to security challenges for parts of di country. Government dey plan to modernize di methods dem dey use to post corps members to states and regions for their service. Dis go involve using modern technology to reduce problems wey dey for posting corps members to suitable places. E go reduce time waste and improve fairness for di management of di programme and ensure balance for how dem distribute corps members to regions and states.
According to di Minister of Youth Development, dem go change di uniform wey corps members dey wear, “dis move wey dey aim to revive di prestige of di system and how society dey see corps members, e go also boost patriotism among dem.” But e no give more details on how di new uniform go be.
Additionally, government go change how dem dey conduct di passing-out ceremony. Before, dem dey do military-style parade, but now dem go start a special ceremony wey resemble graduation ceremony. Government go develop a programme to improve orientation camps across di country by introducing a special rating system for each camp, and dem go put dem on a scale wey go show di standard of each camp, where dem no go accept any camp wey no reach di required quality.
Dis move dey aim to improve di condition of camps, di infrastructure inside dem, and ensure consistency for wetin dey available for all orientation camps across di country. Some of dese changes, especially those wey concern di leadership structure, go require amendment to di NYSC law wey dey di constitution. To make di change easy, di Federal Executive Council don instruct di Attorney General of di Federation and di Ministry of Youth Development to amend di NYSC law and other relevant regulations to provide legal framework and officially ensure dese changes.
Di changes show complete first reform for di programme since dem create am, as Nigerian government say dem design di changes to make NYSC programme more relevant to di economic development and youth needs for dis time.
