The Federal Government has officially addressed the long-standing issue surrounding the mobilisation of Higher National Diploma (HND) graduates for the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC). Minister of Education, Dr. Olatunji Alausa, confirmed on Thursday that only full-time HND graduates will now be eligible for NYSC mobilisation, following extensive consultations with the Director-General of NYSC, Brigadier General Olakunle Oluseye Nafiu.
This resolution comes after years of controversy, which primarily affected HND graduates who had completed their National Diploma (ND) through part-time programmes. Many of these graduates were excluded from the NYSC mobilisation process, leading to protests and concerns about fairness and inequality.
The clarification means that full-time HND graduates, who had previously been overlooked in the mobilisation process, will now be included. However, graduates who completed their HND through part-time programmes will remain ineligible for the NYSC.
A statement issued late Thursday by Boriowo Folasade, Director of Press and Public Relations at the Ministry of Education, confirmed the breakthrough. It emphasized the Ministry’s commitment to ensuring fairness, equity, and inclusivity in the nation’s education system, especially in the mobilisation process.
To facilitate this, the National Board for Technical Education (NBTE) has been instructed to expedite the collation of data for eligible HND graduates. Polytechnics have also been directed to upload the necessary graduate data to a newly created HND admission portal.
Dr. Alausa stressed that this new process would ensure accurate documentation of full-time HND graduates, addressing previous challenges related to admission records. The Minister encouraged all eligible full-time HND graduates to proceed with their mobilisation without delay.
“This is a significant step in ensuring equal opportunities for all qualified Nigerian graduates,” said Dr. Alausa, reaffirming the government’s dedication to fostering national development through the NYSC scheme.
The newly implemented system will help streamline the mobilisation process and ensure that all eligible full-time HND graduates are included in the NYSC programme.
