The Federal Government has lifted the restriction on posting National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) members exclusively to the public sector, allowing postings to private organisations, including banks and oil and gas companies.
The new directive, effective with the 2024 Batch ‘C’ Orientation exercise, was outlined in a memo by the Minister for Youth Development, Ayodele Olawande, dated November 18, 2024.
The previous policy, implemented under former Minister Bolaji Abdullahi, limited corps members to sectors like education, agriculture, health, and infrastructure to discourage private sector exploitation and promote public sector development.
Olawande explained that the revised policy aligns with President Bola Tinubu’s strategy to tackle youth unemployment by enabling corps members to gain experience relevant to their fields of study.
He stated that the initiative will initially roll out in Lagos and Abuja.
The memo highlighted the importance of exposing corps members to practical opportunities, stating, “There is an urgent need to review this policy to expand opportunities for corps members to serve in areas relevant to their study.”
The directive mandates that postings align with corps members’ academic specialisations and allows postings to select private organisations, addressing gaps in work readiness caused by the previous policy.
