At a recent retreat organised by the National Universities Commission (NUC) for the governing councils of federal universities, the Minister of State for Education, Prof. Anthony Anwukah expressed concern over reports that many graduates being turned out by Nigerian universities were not employable. And to address that challenge, he proposed the addition of an extra year for skill acquisition for graduates before their National Youth Service Corps (NYSC). But this is a proposal that makes little sense and should be discarded.

In the reasoning of Anwukah, a former university vice-chancellor, the additional year would be similar to the one-year law training programme embarked upon by law students as well as the housemanship that medical students undergo. But this idea was ill-conceived because keeping the students on campus for longer periods is not a guarantee for improved knowledge, given the operating environment. So, the challenge of the moment is not about the number of years spent in school but the quality of the education being acquired.
For more details visit https://www.campustrends.com.ng/2018/06/extra-year-for-all-graduates-read.html