By Stella Odueme
The Minister of Education, Dr. Maruf Tunji Alausa, has commended the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) for deploying technology and digital innovations to curb fraud and improve the efficiency of its operations.
Alausa gave the commendation when the Director-General of the NYSC, Brigadier General Olakunle Nafiu, paid him a courtesy visit in Abuja.
The Minister praised the NYSC leadership for the transformation recorded by the Scheme, particularly in the deployment of technology for the registration and deployment of corps members.
“I would like to commend you for all the transformation that you have brought to NYSC and the use of technology to ensure seamless operations and deployment of Corps Members,” Alausa said in a statement by NYSC's
Director, Information and Public Relations, Caroline Embu, on Tuesday.
He recalled that the decision by the NYSC to adopt technology in its registration process initially faced resistance from some sections of the public.
However, the Minister said the digitisation of the process had significantly improved efficiency and was now receiving commendation from Nigerians.
The NYSC Director-General, Nafiu, told the Minister that the Scheme had further strengthened the security features of corps members’ Call-up and Posting Letters to tackle fraudulent activities.
He explained that unscrupulous individuals had devised ways of cloning the documents and issuing fake letters to prospective employers, while extorting unsuspecting corps members.
According to Nafiu, the enhanced security features have made the documents more resistant to manipulation, while employers can now easily verify their authenticity.
He also disclosed that a joint committee comprising relevant officials of the NYSC and the Federal Ministry of Education had been constituted to strengthen collaboration between both institutions.
The committee, he said, would work towards ensuring that only qualified and eligible Nigerian graduates participate in the National Youth Service Corps.