NYSC members
Youth Minister lifts restriction on NYSC members, can now serve in banks, oil companies
The restriction on posting of National Youth Service Corps members to private sector organisations, including banks and oil and gas companies, has been lifted.
This significant shift in the deployment of corps members in Nigeria is effective with the 2024 Batch ‘C’ Orientation exercise.
A memo issued by the Minister for Youth Development, Ayodele Olawande, disclosed this.
Indeed, the restriction was first implemented during the tenure of former Minister for Youth and Sports Development, Bolaji Abdullahi, and was aimed at discouraging the exploitation of corps members in the private sector while bolstering capacity in the public sector.
With the restriction, corps members were primarily posted to four sectors—education, agriculture, health, and infrastructure.
According to the new minister, however, the restriction inadvertently limited the ability of Nigerian youths to gain practical experience in their fields of study, thus hindering their readiness for the labour market.
The memo stated that, “The now-revoked policy greatly hampered experience gathering that would effectively prepare corps members for the job market.”
The minister, who explained that the new policy reflects the need to adapt the NYSC program to current economic realities, said: “There is an urgent need to expand opportunities for corps members to serve in areas relevant to their studies. This approach will enhance their professional development and better position them for employment post-service.”