In order to increase youth employability and lower unemployment, Education Minister Dr. Maruf Olatunji Alausa has asked for a thorough overhaul of the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) orientation program to include training in ICT, agriculture, entrepreneurship, and vocational skills.
According to him, Nigerian youth are the country’s most important asset for advancing economic development, healthcare, and education.
The Minister stated during a courtesy visit by NYSC Director-General Brigadier General Olakunle Akinyemi Nafiu and his delegation to the Federal Ministry of Education headquarters in Abuja, according to a statement released in Abuja on Sunday by Folasade Boriowo, Director, Press and Public Relations.
Alausa proposed a number of important projects, such as the Teacher’s Call, which aims to recruit Nigerian Certificate of Education (NCE) holders as temporary teachers in underprivileged areas, while highlighting the necessity of a thorough reform of the Corps.
Along with advocating for “a thorough overhaul of the NYSC orientation program to incorporate vocational, entrepreneurial, agricultural, and ICT training to boost youth employability and reduce unemployment,” he also called for the establishment of the Rural Health Corps, which would send corps members with medical training to rural communities.The Minister also suggested extending the National Youth Service year beyond the existing 12-month period, highlighting his enthusiasm for skill development and youth empowerment.
He pointed out that by giving young Nigerians additional time to develop marketable skills, such an extension would act as a calculated response to unemployment.
He said that this program would improve the employability and entrepreneurial potential of corps members while allowing them to contribute more significantly to the development of the country.
He went on to reiterate his conviction that Nigerian youth have enormous potential and should not be undervalued as the country’s most valuable resource for promoting economic development and education.
source:Nigerian Tribune
