The Federal Government of Nigeria through the Ministry Of Youth Development has announced plans to develop a new training programme for graduates of the Nigeria Certificate in Education (NCE), similar to the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC).
The Minister of State for Youth Development, Ayodele Olawande Wisdom , stated this at the opening ceremony of the BEMORE OYO 2024 Summer Bootcamp in Ibadan, Oyo State, on Monday, August 26, according to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN).
The Minister revealed that the ministry intended to collaborate with the Ministry of Education to introduce various training reforms, including a programme equivalent to the NYSC for NCE graduates.
He noted that while the NYSC caters to university graduates, there is no similar scheme for those who have completed the NCE or related qualifications.
“The major priority of the ministry is citizenship and training, and we are bringing them back. We have NYSC for those who finished from universities, but what of those who finished from NCE and others?” he asked.
“We want to set up training so that you don’t need to go to other states to have it, you can have it in your state and the camp,” Wisdom stated.
The minister also highlighted the ministry’s dedication to addressing social challenges and acknowledged the role of organisations like the Boys’ Brigade and Girls’ Guide in discouraging youths from negative influences.
The minister emphasised that the ministry’s objective was to enhance citizenship and training, and further impact these values through the proposed programme.
Established in 1973, the NYSC is a programme created by the Nigerian government to foster national unity, promote patriotism, and equip young people with self-employment skills, among other objectives.
Every Nigerian graduate under 30 must participate in a one-year service, during which they are deployed to various states to work in different sectors.
Since its establishment by the former military head of state, Yakubu Gowon, shortly after the country’s civil war, the NYSC has undergone various reforms and has significantly lived up to its mission of unifying Nigeria, despite palpable challenges, including corruption, militating against it.
ICIR
