We Are Planning To Transform NYSC Into Revenue-Generating Agency— FG

The federal government is working on reforms to transform the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) scheme into a revenue-generating agency.

The Minister of Youth, Jamila Ibrahim who disclosed this during a monitored programme on Channels Television on Sunday, stated that the reforms were aimed at preparing the corps members for the job market after their service to the country.

She also noted that the government is looking at the allowance for the corps members, adding that it was proposing a holistic funding of the scheme.

“ You are all aware that we have announced a reform of the NYSC scheme itself. We want the scheme to go beyond being a social programme of the government,” she said.

Speaking on the safety of corps members amidst insecurity in the country, the minister stated that corps members are no longer posted to states deemed unsafe.

She noted that the scheme has taken steps to secure members including posting them only to safe states.

“As an immediate intervention of the government and the NYSC as an agency, we have actually stopped posting corps members to the very unsafe states.

“We have been doing it. We have been doing it in the past. There are states we have not been posting corps members to ensure their safety,” she added.

Ibrahim, however, stated that the security of corps members requires collaboration with other agencies of government.

“When it comes to security matters, it is a multi-sectoral approach. So, it is not the NYSC alone and the ministry that is involved. We are working with security outlets to ensure corps members are safe.

“We are also working on group transportation strategies for them to ensure that they are transported to and from camps safely and to their destinations,” she said.