The National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) has expressed deep concern over the increasing rate of corps member rejections by assigned employers across the country, warning that the trend undermines the core objectives of the scheme.
Speaking at the 2025 Annual Corps Employers’ Workshop held in Jos, Plateau State, on Wednesday, the NYSC Director-General, Brigadier General Olakunle Nafiu, called on employers to stop turning away corps members posted to their organisations.
The Director-General, who was represented by Deputy Director Gbamisola Salami, emphasised that rejections deprive corps members of the opportunity to gain critical hands-on experience during their mandatory one-year service.
“Your organisations provide platforms for corps members to apply their skills and gain practical experience. Rejections hinder this objective,” Nafiu stated, noting that such actions defeat the purpose of the NYSC programme, which is designed to foster national development and youth empowerment.
Beyond rejections, the NYSC also highlighted other recurring issues, including late or non-application by employers for corps members, inadequate welfare provisions, and instances of inhumane treatment in the workplace.
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Plateau State NYSC Coordinator, Jonathan Yavala, explained that the workshop was convened to enhance collaboration between the NYSC and employers, and to address the widening communication gap.
“You are not just supervisors but mentors and partners in nation-building. The corps members rely on your guidance and support,” Yavala told participants.
Declaring the event open, the Plateau State Commissioner for Youth and Sports Development, Musa Ashoms, appealed to employers to cultivate work environments where corps members can thrive and make meaningful contributions to their host communities.
Ashoms stressed the importance of national integration and urged employers to view corps members not as temporary staff, but as valuable contributors to institutional growth and social development.
The NYSC scheme, established in 1973, mandates Nigerian graduates under the age of 30 to serve the country for one year, often in unfamiliar regions, to promote unity and patriotism.
However, the increasing trend of employer rejections threatens to erode the gains of this long-standing initiative