After almost 50 years since it’s inception, is the NYSC still relevant or is it time to reform and replace it with something more job-creating, productive and tangible to the Nigerian youths? I think it is time to move on: scrap the NYSC and create a strategic skills acquisition programme to replace it. The huge amount of money spent on the NYSC scheme annually can be used to set up skills acquisition centres in each of the 774 local government areas in Nigeria.
For Nigeria to be what it should, the government must take HARD DECISIONS. The country cannot maintain this inefficient and ineffective status quo and expect CHANGE to happen.
Maintaining the ineffective status quo and change are MUTUALLY EXCLUSIVE.
Don’t read me wrong. I have nothing against the NYSC. Actually I am a product of the NYSC myself and have benefited immensely from the scheme but I think it is time to move on for our dear country.
As an Ajuwaya, my NYSC experience was one of the most memorable and dear to me.
In fact I have never crossed the river Niger prior to my NYSC posting to Ogun state many years ago. I only had the privilege to cross to the other side of Nigeria when the NYSC gave me that chance and I took that memorable journey from Sokoto to Abeokuta, crossing the River Niger, stopping over for a quick lunch at Kainji and switching rides at Ibadan before heading further South to my destination at Sagamu for the unforgettable 30-day NYSC orientation programme. My NYSC exposure in Ogun state came handy because not long after my NYSC, I got a job in Lagos and it was all easy to blend in having lived close-by in Abeokuta for a year.
Despite these memoirs, I feel it is time to scrap the NYSC and replace it with a skills acquisition programme to create jobs and build a skills-based economy for Nigeria.
The national youth service corps (NYSC) established in 1973 by the military government at the time to promote national unity and heal some of the wounds of the civil war has outlived it’s usefulness.
While we rejoice with both the real and imaginary achievements of the NYSC over the past 50 years, it is pertinent at this juncture to tarry awhile, review and reform the scheme. This is with a view to determining the appropriate upgrade of the scheme so that Nigerian youths can get the best out of the enormous amount of money and investment into it.
After 50 years of existence, the time is ripe to scrap the NYSC and replace it with a skills acquisition programme that will impart hands-on skills on Nigerian youths to enable them set up micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs), become self-employed and even employers of labour themselves.
Without doubt, the public sector/government cannot provide enough jobs for all Nigerians.
Not even close.
The need arises for the government to create jobs even if to get the youths engaged to stem the rising tide of insecurity in Nigeria.
Recent updates from the national bureau of statistics (NBS) indicate that about 100 million Nigerians are unemployed and falling below poverty level. At least 120 million Nigerians live on $1 a day in the world’s 6th largest oil producing nation. This is huge as it means that about half of Nigeria’s population is unemployed, mostly comprising of youths. This is a fluid for the rising insecurity in our country today. Peace will potentially continue to to be elusive in Nigeria until our leaders do the right thing.
Considering the heightened and alarming rate of insecurity in Nigeria today, you are not far from it if you posit that our dear country is sitting on a leg of gun powder which could explored at anytime without notice if adequate measures are nit taking to addres the high and rising rate of unemployment in Nigeria today which is in double digits at 41%.
Our young graduates complete their NYSC tenure without learning any skills; often serving as office boys/girls who handle photocopying and other unskilled job schedules on the office. The question is ‘is it worth it to consume to spend such humongous amount of money on the NYSC without any value-addition?
In the 2017 budget, a total amount of N72,875,300,832 was allocated to the NYSC. That figure keeps rising each year in this era of dwindling resources.
Scrapping the NYSC and replacing it with a skills acquisition programme for both graduates and non-graduates could potentially create millions of jobs and reduce the high rate of unemployment which is at double digits and hovering at sky level.
The current astronomical level of insecurity is a time-bomb (permit the word) and it’s explosion could easily bring down a nation. Nigerian youths are unemployed and increasingly getting desperate, despondent, demoralised and on-the-edge. Something should be done to create jobs …. and fast.
Year in and out, NYSC chuns out thousands of unemployed graduate at least three times.
The NYSC is now obsolete for the following reasons inter alia:
1. It is not producing employment, rather it is producing unemployed graduates
2. It has reached the peak of its development and is now at decline.
3. it is not imparting any skills to help the graduates become self – reliant.
4. It is not promoting economic diversification and the realisation of a skills-based economy.
5. Even the intended purpose of promoting national unity and peaceful coexistence along the diverse ethno-cultural setting in Nigeria is somewhat abortive and not consummated.
6. The current alarming rate of insecurity in Nigeria has put NYSC members at great risk while travelling between states to serve the country.
All these seeming negatives about the NYSC are despite the huge investment in the scheme.
Indeed it is time to channel the huge investment in the NYSC into more tangible and realistic endeavours such a skills acquisition programme so that skills can be imparted on Nigerian youths to enable them set up small businesses.
SET UP ONE SKILLS ACQUISITION CENTRE IN EACH OF THE 774 LOCAL GOVERNMENT AREAS.
The funds to be saved from scrapping the NYSC should be used in setting up skills acquisition centres up and down the country: at least one skills acquisition centre in each local government area.
For non-graduates, these skills centres should be used to
impart HANDS-ON entrepreneurial skills such as welding, bricklaying, plumbing, auto-works, mobile phone and other communications gadgets repairs, etc.
For graduates, the focus should be SOFTWARE and HARDWARE development to build a platform for an I.T based economy in line with the modern digital era.
Indeed, Nigeria can become the ICT hub in Africa if the right measures are put in place.
A working economy should be able to produce JOBS. The need to create a PRIVATE SECTOR driven economy is more so when juxtaposed with the fact that the public sector cannot provide all the jobs required by the Nigerian youths. Not even close.
The public sector in Nigeria is currently incapacitated and riddled with corruption. It cannot create jobs.
There is also the aspect of under-employment, ghost workers amid massive corruption in the public sector which is unhelpful to the economy. Thus, there is the need to ramp up activities in the private sector to create JOBS and promote economic growth.
To make Nigeria great, we must bear the pains of today for the joy of tomorrow
