The Federal Government has announced that all full-time Higher National Diploma (HND) graduates will now be mobilised for the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC).
Minister of Education, Dr Tunji Alausa stated this after a meeting with the Director-General of NYSC, Brigadier General Olakunle Nafiu.
According to the Minister, only full-time HND graduates are eligible for mobilisation.
The resolution of the long-standing issue regarding their mobilisation for national service is contained in a statement made available to journalists in Abuja on Thursday night.
The release was signed by the Director of Press and Public Relations in the Ministry, Folasade Boriowo.
Recall that in August 2024, the Corps had said polytechnic graduates or holders of the Higher National Diploma without evidence of undertaking the mandatory 12-month industrial training would not be registered at the NYSC orientation camp to participate in the national youth service; a move that sparked outrage across the country with protests in major cities.
According to Folasade, individuals who pursued Higher National Diploma (HND) programmes on a part-time basis are exempt from the mobilization process altogether.
“To facilitate a seamless mobilization process, the National Board for Technical Education (NBTE) has been directed to expedite the collation of data for eligible HND graduates. In line with this, a circular has been sent to all Rectors of Polytechnics, instructing them to upload the necessary graduate data onto the newly created HND admission portal.
“Dr. Alausa emphasized that NYSC mobilization is strictly for those who completed a full-time HND program, stressing that only full-time HND graduates will be mobilized, while those who did HND part-time remain ineligible. He further disclosed that the newly created portal will ensure proper documentation of full-time HND graduates and serve as the official database for NYSC mobilization, addressing past challenges related to admission records.
“The Honourable Minister urges all eligible full-time HND graduates to take full advantage of this opportunity and proceed with their mobilization without delay. He reaffirmed the government’s commitment to fostering equal opportunities for all qualified Nigerian graduates and ensuring their contributions to national development through the NYSC scheme,” it read.
