By Tanko Lami

Graduates with full-time Higher National Diplomas (HND) who previously completed part-time National Diplomas (ND) have strongly opposed the proposed exclusion of such graduates from participating in the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) scheme.

The protest coincided with the commencement of registration for the second stream of Batch C mobilisation on Monday, January 6.

The affected graduates gathered at the NYSC secretariat in Lagos early Monday morning, holding placards with messages such as “Say No To Discrimination in NYSC” and “Equal Rights for All,” demanding their inclusion in the NYSC mobilisation process.

Speaking on behalf of the protesters, Majaro Temitope, an HND graduate from Yaba College of Technology, criticised the proposed policy as discriminatory.

He highlighted the challenges many of them had faced transitioning from part-time ND programs to full-time HND programs.

“Many of us here did ND part-time and later switched to full-time HND. We were not told there is a policy that will deny us the opportunity to serve, despite the struggles we faced during our ND years,” he said.

Temitope added that the graduates had written letters to relevant authorities seeking intervention but had yet to receive any response.

He urged the Director-General of NYSC and the Minister of Education to take action on the matter.

“We’ve already written to the Director-General and JAMB about this matter. We just hope the Federal Government and Ministry of Education will review this unfair policy, especially since the registration has already started and we have yet to register,” he added.

A representative of the Education Rights Campaign, Adebola Osunfunrewa condemned the policy, describing it as a symptom of the ongoing decline in Nigeria’s education system.

“This policy is another sign that Nigeria’s education system is collapsing. How can over 3,000 students be begging to serve in a country that is facing severe teacher shortages?” he said.

In response to the protesters, the Lagos NYSC Coordinator, represented by Assistant Director Ehimuenma Itohan, assured the graduates that their grievances had been communicated to the Director-General at the national headquarters.

Itohan urged the protesters to remain calm, emphasizing that the issue was being addressed seriously.

“Your protest has been duly noted, and we have escalated your grievance to the highest level of management in NYSC. The Director-General is a father figure who deeply cares about the concerns of the youth, and I assure you that he will consider all aspects of the matter in line with the existing guidelines and policies,” Itohan said.

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