The Federal Government has lifted the ban restricting National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) members from serving in private sector organisations.
In a memo dated November 18, 2024, and signed by the Minister of Youth Development, Ayodele Olawande, the government announced that corps members could now be posted to private organisations, including banks and oil and gas companies. This policy shift will take effect with the 2024 Batch ‘C’ orientation exercise.
The earlier policy, implemented during the tenure of Mallam Bolaji Abdullahi, a former Minister of Youth and Sports Development, limited corps members to public sector roles in education, agriculture, health, and infrastructure. The aim was to discourage private companies from exploiting corps members as cheap labour while promoting public sector capacity building.
Explaining the rationale behind the new directive, Olawande stated that the move aligns with President Bola Tinubu’s strategy to tackle youth unemployment. He added that the initiative would enhance corps members’ career readiness by providing them with practical experience in their fields of study.
“There is an urgent need to review this policy to expand opportunities for corps members to serve in places relevant to their areas of study,” the memo read.
The new policy will initially be rolled out in Lagos and Abuja, with corps members being posted to private sector organisations in alignment with their courses of study.
Olawande also emphasised that this directive is part of a broader effort to align government agencies with the administration’s vision for youth empowerment and economic growth.
The memo further directed that the policy review should be implemented starting with the 2024 Batch ‘C’ orientation exercise, noting that this applies to all matters related to the posting and distribution of corps members to their Places of Primary Assignment.
