THE Federal Government has lifted all bans on the posting of members of the National Youth Service Corps, NYSC, paving the way for corps members to be deployed to private sector organisations.
A memo dated 18 November 2024 from the Minister of Youth Development, Comrade Ayodele Olawande, to the NYSC Director General stated that this lifting of restrictions will take effect from the start date of the 2024 Batch ‘C Orientation Course.
Olawande stated that the ministerial directive aligns with President Bola Tinubu’s mandate to ensure all government ministries, agencies, and parastatals operate in harmony with the administration’s overall vision.
The minister said President Tinubu was “highly concerned about the rising rate of youth unemployment.
“As a result, he expects the Ministry of Youth Development and its affiliated agencies to take a leading role in addressing the issue,” the minister said in a statement issued by the Director of Information and Public Relations in the ministry, Omolara Esan on Tuesday in Abuja.
Recall that the previous posting policy implemented during the tenure of former Minister of Youth Development, Mallam Bolaji Abdullahi, restricted corps members to four sectors—education, agriculture, health, and infrastructure.
He explained that the argument of the former minister at the time was that while the government was funding the NYSC, many private sector organisations were no longer employing because of the easy access to cheap corps labour, adding that the former minister was largely right, moreover, he said, the fact that many corps members who require specialised training in their areas of study are limited by the posting policy has greatly hampered experience gathering that would effectively prepare them for the job market.
According to the memo, by lifting the restrictions, the government seeks to create more opportunities for NYSC participants to acquire practical skills aligned with their educational background, enhancing their employability.
It added that the initiative aims to foster collaboration between the public and private sectors, enabling the NYSC to play a more significant role in bridging the skills gap and addressing the unemployment crisis.
“There is an urgent need to review this policy to expand the opportunity and access for corps members to serve in places that are relevant to their areas of study.
“Without prejudice to the need to constantly review prevailing realities, I now direct as follows: Lifting of all restrictions on postings.
“Posting of corps members to, as much as practicable, be in line with their course of study.
“Posting of corps members to select banks and other private sector organisations, including those operating in oil and gas, to commence with Abuja and Lagos.
“The directive contained herein will take effect from the date of commencement of the 2024 Batch ‘C Orientation Course and applies in relation to any matter relating to the posting and distribution of corps members to Places of Primary Assignment.
“The now revoked policy has greatly hampered experience gathering that would effectively prepare them for the job market,” the memo partly read.
Eighteen-Eleven Media