The National Youth Service Corps (N.Y.S.C.) was created shortly after the Nigerian civil war basically for the purpose of national integration. Whether or not the scheme has achieved this has been a topic of intense debate among political commentators. In recent times however, there have been several calls for the scraping of the sheme. Those who argue for its continuation claim the scheme is still relevant in the nation-building process and that the significance of the experience young graduates acquire away from their comfort zones can not be over-emphasized. On the other hand, those who argue for its discontinuation claim the scheme has outlived its usefulness hence it's a waste of one whole year. Proponents of this perspective usually point attention to the peanut paid to the corpers and also to the simple fact that most of these corpers end up idle in rural areas with no access to clean water, electricity, good roads health care e.t.c some even pass out of the scheme still holding stereotypes of their respective hosts.
My purpose here is not to support or discredit any of the perspectives above but recently, my attention was drawn to a newspaper publication where the Buhari/Osinbajo led incoming government promised to pay N39,800 monthly allowance to serving corps members and also provide allowances to discharged but unemployed Youth Corps members for Twelve (12) months while in the skills and entrepreneurial development programmes. The way I understand this is that the government intends to pay N39,800 monthly allowance to all corpers for a period of one year and another N39,800 monthly allowance for another one year to those corpers who wouldn't secure jobs within one year after service. This equals two (2) whole years of non-stop allowee payment. This laudable initiative is plausible but if the government truely desires to do something about the raising youth unemployment, there is a need to go further than this.
Hence, in this thread I intend to suggest what I think is best for the scheme in the face of the country's current socio-economic realities and to present a blueprint on how this is to be achieved.

One of the country's major problems today is youth unemployment, a situation that has caused many to hold the view that the govt is merely using NYSC to delay young graduates from entering into the already crowded labour market. My suggestion is this: the service year itself should be discontinued and the camping period extended to say two months (this is subject to review). Within this period, the NYSC SAED program should be strengthened so corpers will be equipped with the neccessary entrepreneurship skills that will enable them succeed outside the camp. Social activities should be encouraged and supported as all work without play makes jack a dull boy and the drills should be reduced as one can barely see its use outside the camp. At the end of the camping period, corpers should be paid a total of what is suppose to be their monthly allowances for a period of two (2) years - that is, monthly allowance (say N39,800) * 24 months [two (2) years] = N955,200. (nine hundred and fifty-five thousand, two hundred - approximately 1million). This is likely to provide the needed capital for each corper to start from somewhere and subsequently employ others. And since Nigeria graduates an estimated 1.8 million graduates yearly, this will likely cost an estimated 1.7 trillion (N955,200 * 1.8 million). Do the maths! If corruption is checkmated, I think the government can afford it.

Contrary views are welcome!

Refrences:
http://www.google.com.ng/url?q=https://marapolsa.com/breaking-i-will-increase-nysc-allowance-to-n39800%25E2%2580%25B3-gen-buhari/&sa=U&ei=Ou08VcmJCMPsUrXMgJAD&ved=0CAgQFjAA&sig2=nVYEKmL6aIWvIwz-qoVqdA&usg=AFQjCNHEV59lihJDAwBSj230twPIJOcvbA

http://www.vanguardngr.com/2015/01/buhari-promises-allowances-unemployed-corps-members-free-meal-pupils/

http://www.punchng.com/news/1-8-million-graduates-enter-job-market-yearly-fg/

http://www.thisdaylive.com/articles/-60-of-nigerian-graduates-are-unemployed-/130658/

Where's barcanista and other nay sayers who said it's impossible

Calculation is in naira not even dollar

If they can stop ghost corpers this project will succeed

I don't buy your idea. If our education system wasn't in shambles, human unemployment wouldn't be so high.
Besides, I hate that NYSC nonsense. Its a total waste of time and its an abuse of our youth.
It should be made optional and graduates who opt-in to serve for the year should be paid 60 thousand naira monthly.
Those who don't want to serve should go straight to the labour market.

Its also not financially sustainable on the part of the government. You people keep on quoting trillions of naira and saying we have the money. Its highly ignorant. You are not the minister of finance.

I'm tired of telling you people that we have budgetary constraints in Nigeria. The revenue Nigeria makes is too small for our population and the possibility of getting the adequate revenues(in the nearest future) are very slim.
Our annual budget is 4 trillion naira. Ideally, 4 trillion naira is not adequate to meet the expenditure needs of all the federal universities in Nigeria. But we manage and the 4 trillion is spent on security, infrastructure, education, health etc.
If our annual budget continues to be anything around 4 trillion naira or thereabout for the next ten years, I'm afraid Nigeria will remain an under developed country. That's the bitter truth.

brb...

At
the end of the camping period, corpers should be paid a
total of what is suppose to be their monthly allowances for
a period of two (2) years - that is, monthly allowance (say
N39,800) * 24 months [two (2) years] = N955,200. (nine
hundred and fifty-five thousand, two hundred -
approximately 1million). This is likely to provide the needed
capital for each corper to start from somewhere and
subsequently employ others. And since Nigeria graduates
an estimated 1.8 million graduates yearly, this will likely
cost an estimated 1.7 trillion (N955,200 * 1.8 million). Do
the maths! If corruption is checkmated, I think the
government can afford it.


This makes sense.

NYSC is crap. Total waste of resources.
@Op 1 trillion naira is not 1 million. This your analysis will only skyrocket inflation and increase recurrent expenditure. Another perfect avenue for theft.

It is a shame that people just write without factoring what is actually accrued to the government annually. Where will the government raise 1.7trn to take care of corp members annually? Do you people understand what you are proposing? How will the FG raise this N1.7 trn considering that the 2014 revenue for the FG was just about N3.4 trn and our 2015 budget is running on deficit of about N1.5trn? Why can't you people look at the "HOW" of any proposal? I laugh at you people anyway...

barcanista:
It is a shame that people just write without factoring what is actually accrued to the government annually. Where will the government raise 1.7trn to take care of corp members annually? Do you people understand what you are proposing? How will the FG raise this N1.7 trn considering that the 2014 revenue for the FG was just about N3.4 trn and our 2015 budget is running on deficit of about N1.5trn? Why can't you people look at the "HOW" of any proposal? I laugh at you people anyway...

yeah, especially considering most part of the budget endup in private pockets.

Keep laughing!

The Federal government should concern itself with providing the conducive environment for businesses to thrive. Basic issues like ensuring improved power supply, improving security of lives and properties in all parts of the nation and massive infrastructural development. Government doesn't provide jobs for its people, the private sector does that so people coming out with how possible a scheme that involves giving handouts to young men and women and backing it up with the stance of Buhari on corruption is laughable. The issue of corruption in the country is a systematic one and we need to be honest with ourselves that the systems that are needed to fight this cankerworm are not present. Declaration of assets on assumption of office does little or nothing in solving the issue of corruption as most public servants operate illegal foreign accounts with strange identities. What a buhari government should do is integrating the systems that are supposed to check corruption with technology. This gap is the reason why even the EFCC find it impossible to successfully prosecute cases because most times their evidences are weak and as you know, our government officials know how to cover their tracks very well. We need to forget the talk about appointing honest officials because the Human nature is a selfish one and always seeks to acquire. Buhari may not seek to acquire financial power for reasons best known to him but as demonstrated in the last twelve years, he has always been hungry for political power.
The Buhari government in my opinion should forget about the past and immediately He assumes office before any kobo is given out to the different government agencies, the systems to check the mismanagement of such resources should be in place

They should mobilise them to mega farms with tractors et al