Modify NYSC In Order To Save It

The decision of the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) to mobilise only 35 percent of eligible graduates for the next batch of the  orientation exercise due to lack of funds portends danger for the 40-year- old programme. This is the second time in two years that NYSC is broke and cannot mobilise over 300,000 graduates for the mandatory one-year national assignment.

NYSC had obtained approval for the mobilisation of 300,000 corps members for this year. But with about 220,000 corpers still undergoing the programme in 2016, NYSC has the funds to mobilise only another 30,000 corpers this year. With nearly 200 institutions of higher learning churning out an average of 2,000 graduates each every year, about 400,000 graduates are available annually to be mobilised for the NYSC programme.

NYSC management finds itself in a predicament because resources at its disposal cannot handle more than 80,000 new corps members from the expected 400,000 graduates. This indicates that 320,000 may not be called up for the service this year. There is no guarantee that they will be called up next year, when another 400,000 fresh graduates will have joined the queue. Meanwhile, their job prospects must remain on hold until they complete the service year.

This looming danger made the House of Representatives to mandate its Committee on Youth Development to investigate the matter and report back. Meanwhile, tertiary institutions have been directed to upload the particulars of only 35 percent of their graduates for mobilization. NYSC’s Director of Public Relations Mrs. Aderibigbe said the agency long ago warned of its plight. She said, “There is nothing we can do about it except our Director General succeeds in getting the government to find ways to mobilise all the eligible corps

members. We can only mobilise the number we can find the resources to cater for. The number of graduates keeps increasing every year but our budget in not increasing.”

Mobilising only 35 percent of eligible corpers has thrown fresh graduates and their parents into panic. Eligible corps members are besieging their schools to see how their names can make it on the list. This situation will create the conditions for school authorities to drag favouritism and corruption into the equation. Wealthy parents can pay any amount to have their children on the list. It is better that the government should not open another avenue for corruption that would alienate the children of the poor.

While the apparent solution to this conundrum is for more money to be given to NYSC, this may not be a viable recommendation because the whole country is in economic recession and no sector is adequately financed these days. It may therefore be time for government to consider its drastic options. The NYSC program could be suspended for now and all eligible graduates could be given certificates of service. Alternatively, the provision that makes the service year mandatory could be suspended and the service could be made voluntary for now. The provision of the law that makes an NYSC certificate a must before a graduate can get a job could also be suspended for now.

We are not making these suggestions lightly because since its creation by General Yakubu Gowon in 1973, NYSC scheme has greatly contributed to foster national unity, increase mobility of labour, and has enormously assisted public schools and hospitals as well as private entities to have a steady pool of cheap skilled labour. For the young graduates, NYSC has been a very good transition from school to working life and has helped to overcome the fear that youths entertain of other parts of the country. It is an excellent national program that needs to be saved and nurtured but if necessary, it could be modified while the phase of economic recession lasts.

Source: Dailytrust