FG to Make it Compulsory for Parastatals to Accept NYSC Members

The Federal Government plans to enforce a directive requiring all government agencies and parastatals to accept National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) members assigned to them for their mandatory one-year service.

The Minister for Youth Development, Ayodele Olawande, disclosed this during a press conference in Abuja on Monday. Responding to concerns about the rejection of corps members despite the recent revocation of restrictions on their posting to the private sector, the minister said his ministry would send a memo to President Bola Tinubu on the matter.

On November 19, 2024, the Federal Government lifted the restriction that confined corps members to public sector postings, now allowing their deployment to private sector organizations, including banks and oil and gas companies.

Olawande explained that the ministry had already directed the NYSC to remove all barriers to corps members’ postings. He acknowledged reports of rejections by some agencies and parastatals and emphasized that the government is committed to addressing the issue.

“Let them post them first, then we would tackle the rejection,” he said. “In part of the memo that we sent to the NYSC, we clearly stated that there should be no barriers. Before now, there were restrictions, but we need to provide opportunities for these young people to gain real-world experience. For instance, if banks take them, it gives them a chance to apply their knowledge in fields like accounting.”

The minister added that his ministry is working on an additional memo to ensure that all government agencies and parastatals comply with the directive. “It’s a process. We can’t do everything at once, but we are addressing the issue step by step,” he said.

On the delay in the payment of the recently approved ₦77,000 increased monthly allowance for corps members, Olawande assured that the implementation was in progress.

“It’s a process. When the government approves an increment, it takes time to finalize the implementation. We are almost there, and very soon, corps members will start receiving the new allowance. The increase has been approved, and we are ensuring the process is completed smoothly,” he explained.

This development highlights the government’s commitment to improving the NYSC program by expanding opportunities for corps members and ensuring they are adequately compensated for their service.