President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s government has removed the prohibition that limited the deployment of members of the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) to the public sector, thereby permitting corps members to be assigned to private sector entities, including banks and oil and gas firms.
A memorandum issued by the Minister for Youth Development, Ayodele Olawande, on November 18, 2024, indicates that this new policy will be implemented with the start of the 2024 Batch ‘C’ Orientation exercise.
The earlier policy, established during the administration of former Minister for Youth and Sports Development Bolaji Abdullahi, was designed to prevent private companies from taking advantage of inexpensive labour while fostering capacity building in the public sector. It restricted corps members to four specific sectors of the economy: education, agriculture, health, and infrastructure.
Olawande stated that the revised policy aligns with President Bola Tinubu’s initiative to address the increasing youth unemployment rate by ensuring that government agencies support the objectives of his administration. He noted that the directive will initially be implemented in Lagos and Abuja.
Furthermore, he emphasized that the new policy would enable corps members to acquire essential experience in their respective fields of study, highlighting that the previous policy hindered Nigerian youths from obtaining the experiences necessary for their preparation for the job market.
The memo read in parts, “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 per prevailing realities, I now direct the following: Lifting 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.”
