- The Federal Government has refuted claims that there are plans to extend the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) program to two years.
- The minister explained that his idea was to address the lack of teachers in rural areas by establishing a voluntary teacher corps under the NYSC to send educators to these regions for two years.
The Federal Government has rejected reports claiming that the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) program will be extended to two years.
These assertions gained momentum on social media and various online platforms last week, leading to confusion about the NYSC’s future. In response, Education Minister Tunji Alausa clarified during a convocation lecture at Lagos State University (LASU) on Tuesday that he had been misquoted.
He explained that his suggestion was for a special teacher corps for graduates of National Colleges of Education, rather than an extension of the NYSC service period.
“Now, there was never a time that I said youth service should be extended to two years. I never said that,” he stated.
The minister highlighted that his proposal was intended to address the teacher shortage in rural areas, suggesting a voluntary teacher corps under the NYSC to deploy teachers to underserved locations for two years.
“We are training many graduates from National Colleges of Education, but there aren’t enough jobs for them. This imbalance between supply and demand leads to challenges. Rural areas suffer from a lack of teachers in subjects like mathematics, science and English,” Alausa added.
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