The Minister of Youth Development has lamented that Federal Government may be spending over N70 billion annually on the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC).
He also said that there was no commensurate return on that huge investment through measurable metrics. This was just as he said that there was the need to reposition the scheme in areas that would yield returns both to the government and the participants.
Minister of Youth Development, Malam Bolaji Abdullahi, said this recently during the press briefing on the new posting policy of the NYSC which according to him will focus on areas of national priority in line with the transformation Agenda of the President. Areas like Agriculture, Education, Rural Health and Infrastructure.
Abdullahi said that it would deepen the vision of national integration as highlighted by the NYSC Act and invest in rural development in tandem with the NYSC mandate through the equitable distribution of skilled youth workforce across the nation.
“The current budget provides about N280, 000 per corps member per year which accounts for allowances, uniform, materials, training etc. Imbalanced cost allocation formula along tiers of government, continued population growth has increased the Corps member population, unaccompanied by a proportional increase in funding. Current budgets cannot support infrastructure investment required to update currently dilapidated facilities. These are challenges the scheme is faced with that necessitates it reforms,” he said.
While moving away from the old policy of the scheme, Abdullahi itemised the benefit of the new reform to be opportunity to train future leaders, clear benefit to Nigeria through dedicated corps members adequately prepared to be employers and employees, postings aligned with national priorities, national competitiveness, socio-economic development and national unity among others.
Abdullahi further revealed that implementation body headed by him with the DG NYSC and other stakeholders would be constituted to ensure that the reform policy was properly implemented.
Also speaking at the briefing, the Director General of the NYSC, Nnamdi Okore-Affia, said that the scheme wouldl not post corps members to volatile States unless with firm assurance of Chief executive of the State of corps members safety.
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