- Full-time Higher National Diploma (HND) graduates expressed frustration over exclusion from the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) scheme
- Protesters demanded inclusion, citing the struggles of transitioning from part-time ND to full-time HND studies
- NYSC Coordinator assured protesters that their concerns have been communicated to higher authorities for review
Full-time Higher National Diploma (HND) graduates who had previously completed part-time National Diploma (ND) programmes staged a protest against their proposed exclusion from the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) scheme.
The protest, which occurred on Monday, January 6, coincided with the start of registration for the second stream of Batch C mobilisation.
HND graduates protest exclusion from NYSC scheme
The graduates gathered at the NYSC secretariat in Lagos, holding placards with slogans such as "Say No to Discrimination in NYSC" and "Equal Rights for All," demanding to be included in the programme.
Majaro Temitope, an HND graduate of Yaba College of Technology, spoke on behalf of the protesters, calling the proposed policy unfair and discriminatory.
“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 stated, emphasising the difficulties they faced during their ND studies.
HND graduates urge NYSC to reconsider exclusion policy
The graduates urged the NYSC to reconsider the policy, stressing that they had worked hard to transition from part-time to full-time studies and deserved equal opportunities for national service.
Temitope added that they had already sent letters to relevant authorities, including the NYSC Director-General and the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB), but had yet to receive a response.
“We have already written to the Director-General and JAMB regarding this issue. We hope the Federal Government and the Ministry of Education will review this unfair policy, especially now that registration has begun, and we are still unable to register,” he said.
Adebola Osunfunrewa, a representative of the Education Rights Campaign, criticised the policy, linking it to the declining state of Nigeria's education system.
NYSC coordinator responds to protest, pledges review of exclusion policy
“This policy highlights the collapse of Nigeria’s education system. How can over 3,000 students be pleading for the opportunity to serve in a country that desperately needs teachers?” he questioned.
In response to the protest, the Lagos NYSC Coordinator, represented by Assistant Director Ehimuenma Itohan, assured the graduates that their concerns had been forwarded to the NYSC Director-General at the national headquarters.
“We have already written to the Director-General and JAMB regarding this issue. We hope the Federal Government and the Ministry of Education will review this unfair policy, especially now that registration has begun, and we are still unable to register,” Itohan stated, urging the protesters to remain patient while the matter was reviewed.
Speaker Abbas announces bill to criminalise dichotomy between HND, BSc certificates
Meanwhile, TheRadar earlier reported that Speaker of the House of Representatives Tajudeen Abbas announced that the House was drafting a bill aimed at criminalising the discrimination between holders of Higher National Diplomas (HNDs) from polytechnics and Bachelor’s Degrees from universities.
The Speaker advised the graduates to go forth into the world and leave a lasting impression by making the most of the opportunities before them.