ABUJA, Nigeria — The National Youth Service Corps has announced plans to blacklist employers who fail to provide accommodation and transportation for corps members posted to their organisations, while also urging improved welfare packages to enhance productivity and service delivery.
The NYSC Director-General, Brigadier General Yusha’u Dogara Ahmed, made the announcement during a press briefing in Abuja on Tuesday, stressing that the welfare of corps members remains a top priority for the scheme. He said the decision was part of efforts to address longstanding complaints from corps members about inadequate working conditions and poor welfare packages.
“Employers who refuse to provide accommodation and transportation for corps members will be blacklisted and will no longer be eligible to receive corps members in the future,” Ahmed said. “We cannot continue to allow our corps members to suffer in silence. Their welfare is non-negotiable.”
The NYSC boss noted that the scheme receives frequent complaints from corps members about employers who neglect their welfare responsibilities, including failure to provide safe and habitable accommodation, non-payment of allowances, and denial of transportation to and from their places of primary assignment.
He urged employers to see the deployment of corps members as an opportunity to contribute to national development and to treat them with dignity and respect. He also called on corps members to be dedicated to their duties and to uphold the values of the NYSC scheme.
The announcement comes amid ongoing efforts by the NYSC to improve the welfare of corps members and to address challenges facing the scheme. The NYSC has also been working to strengthen its monitoring and evaluation mechanisms to ensure that employers comply with the scheme’s regulations.
The scheme has also taken steps to address challenges confronting corps members, including the suspension of its orientation course at the NYSC permanent orientation camp in Minna, Niger State, due to ongoing renovation work to ensure safety and comfort for corps members.
The announcement was met with reactions from various stakeholders, including corps members and employer organisations. Corps members have welcomed the move, expressing hope that it would lead to improved welfare, while employer groups have called for a balanced approach that takes into account the capacity of employers to provide such amenities.
For now, the NYSC has made its position clear: employers who neglect the welfare of corps members will no longer be tolerated, and the scheme is determined to ensure that corps members serve in conducive environments. The policy is expected to take effect immediately, with the NYSC set to begin implementing the blacklist mechanism in the coming weeks.
