Some graduates of Higher National Diploma (HND) academic programmes across the country are at the risk of exclusion from the national service due to the National Youth Service Corps' (NYSC) latest policy of demanding Industrial Training (IT) certification for those seeking to fulfil their national service obligations.
NYSC, on its official Facebook handle, announced that HND graduates must provide evidence of completing their one-year mandatory IT certificate before being registered in their respective camps.
It stated, "Graduates of Higher National Diploma (HND) are to provide evidence of completion of their one-year Industrial Training in addition to ND and HND Certificates/Statement of Results."
With this mandate, polytechnic and mono-technic graduates mobilised for Batch B stream II without evidence of the mandatory one-year industrial training will miss out on the national service.
The policy shift means that without a valid IT certificate, HND graduates cannot proceed with registration in the camp. Thus, many graduates now face the task of securing proof of their internship experience and risk missing participation in the next orientation camp, scheduled for August 28, 2024.
LEADERSHIP reports that the one-year mandatory IT programme is a prerequisite for admission to the HND programme, as stated in the law.
According to the law, graduates of polytechnics and monotechnics must undergo the one-year IT with evidence of completion before applying for a HND academic programme, and institutions must confirm this before admitting them.
Unfortunately, our correspondent gathered that most of these HND awarding institutions do not confirm the IT-compliance before admitting students, thus graduating thousands of students who now face hurdles to participate in national service after being mobilised by the NYSC.
Our investigation further revealed that some polytechnic institutions have previously disregarded these regulations by enrolling students without the required one-year IT certificate.
Giving reason for its decision to enforce the law, the NYSC coordinator in Lagos State, Yetunde Baderinwa, said, "It has been noticed in recent times that some graduates of polytechnics and mono-technics do not observe the mandatory one-year IT before being admitted for HND programmes. The one-year IT is a prerequisite for HND.
"They must undergo the one-year IT with evidence of completion before going for HND, and institutions must confirm this before admitting them for HND."
However, some affected HND graduates have called for leniency in their national service eligibility, pleading with the NYSC to intervene with their polytechnic institutions and allow them to serve the fatherland since they had already been mobilised for Batch B Stream II.
They argued that the institutions were to blame, as they admitted them without requiring the mandatory IT certificate, or alerting them to the need for it.
Some of them, who spoke with LEADERSHIP, expressed frustration that they do not have evidence of an IT certificate to proceed with registration when camps open this month.
A recent graduate from Kaduna State Polytechnic, who identified herself as Hauwa, said she was anxiously awaiting her national service posting after being mobilised by NYSC, until the recent pronouncement.
Hauwa faces a hurdle due to a new NYSC policy that mandates one year of industrial training certification for eligibility.
She said, "I'm excited to start my service, but I'm worried that I might not be screened (admitted) in camp due to this new requirement. My school did not let us know that we have to provide the mandatory IT certificate, and I fear this could disqualify me.
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"I would like the Scheme (NYSC) to address this issue and find a way to accommodate those of us who this policy may have overlooked. It would be fair to work with our institutions to clarify our standing," she said.
She stated that her schoolmates who were mobilised under Batch B Stream 1 were already in the service without any obstacles.
Hauwa's case highlights a growing frustration among graduates caught between their enthusiasm for national service and the practical challenges of new regulations.
As the affected prospective corps members await further clarification on the issue, they hope for a resolution that considers their circumstances while the rule takes effect in subsequent years.
