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ABUJA, Nigeria - The Federal Government has declared that all full-time Higher National Diploma (HND) graduates will now be eligible for mobilization into the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC).
Minister of Education, Dr. Tunji Alausa, made this announcement following a meeting with the NYSC Director-General, Brigadier General Olakunle Nafiu.
As stated by the Minister, only full-time HND graduates qualify for mobilization.
The resolution addressing the long-standing concerns about their national service mobilization was revealed in a statement issued and signed by the Director of Press and Public Relations in the Ministry, Folasade Boriowo to journalists in Abuja on Thursday evening.
It is important to note that in August 2024, the Corps announced that polytechnic graduates or HND holders lacking proof of completing the compulsory 12-month industrial training would not be registered at the NYSC orientation camp, a decision that led to widespread protests in major cities across the nation.
Folasade further clarified that individuals who pursued HND programs on a part-time basis are entirely exempt from the mobilization process.
"To ensure a smooth mobilization, the National Board for Technical Education (NBTE) has been tasked with speeding up the collection of data for eligible HND graduates.
Consequently, a circular has been sent out to all Rectors of Polytechnics, directing them to upload the necessary graduate information onto the newly established HND admission portal.
Alausa reiterated that NYSC mobilization is specifically for those who completed a full-time HND program, emphasizing that only full-time HND graduates will be mobilized, while those who pursued HND part-time will remain ineligible.
He also pointed out that the newly launched portal will guarantee proper documentation of full-time HND graduates and function as the official database for NYSC mobilization, tackling previous issues related to admission records.
“The Honourable Minister encourages all eligible full-time HND graduates to seize this opportunity and proceed with their mobilization promptly.
He reaffirmed the government's dedication to promoting equal chances for all qualified Nigerian graduates and to ensuring their contributions to national progress through the NYSC scheme,” the statement concluded.
