Minister of Education, Dr. Maruf Olatunji Alausa, has praised the management of the National Youth Service Corps for its proactive and digitalised efforts in the mobilisation process to combat certificate racketeering involving some foreign trained graduates in West Africa.
He also praised the Scheme for addressing the long-standing issue of OND part-time graduates with full-time HND who were previously excused from National Service.
The Minister disclosed this today during a courtesy visit to his Abuja office by Brigadier General Olakunle Nafiu, Director General of the National Youth Service Corps.
Mr. Alausa further revealed that efforts are underway at the ministry to digitize the verification of foreign-trained graduates of Nigerian origin.
He stated that the Ministry and the NYSC would enhance their collaboration to improve education for national development.
He advocated for the deployment of more graduate instructors to rural schools, claiming that this would address the school’s staffing need.
The Minister also called for extending national service from one to two years, as well as expanding the curriculum of the NYSC Skill Acquisition and Entrepreneurship Development Training programme for Corps Members.
“You have done so well as an organization. Let NYSC give people more opportunity to become job creators that will meet the needs of the country”, he said.
Speaking earlier, the NYSC Director General, Brigadier General Oluseye Nafiu lauded the Ministry’s innovation and giant strides in the education sector.
He called for the establishment of a database of Nigerian youths going abroad to study for degree programmes, adding that this would help the government and other stakeholders in the education sector to have detailed records of Nigerian students studying abroad and also eliminate fake graduates.
“NYSC is ready to comply with policy guidelines as directed by the Federal Government. We are also trying to reform the Scheme to conform with the present national needs”, he said.
The Permanent Secretary, Federal Ministry of Education, Mr Abel Olumuyiwa Enitan affirmed the Ministry’s readiness to work with NYSC more effectively towards uplifting the standard of education in the country.
