By Mario Deepromoter

The National Youth Service Corps has said polytechnic graduates or holders of the Higher National Diploma without evidence of undertaking the mandatory 12-month industrial training will not be registered at the NYSC orientation camp to participate in the national youth service.

The acting Director of Press and Public Relations, NYSC, Mrs Caroline Lembu, who spoke to The PUNCH on Thursday, explained that a certificate of industrial training is one of the requirements for polytechnic graduates to participate in the one-year national youth service.

The NYSC had recently introduced a new policy, requiring graduates of polytechnics and monotechnics to present an IT certification, as part of requirements for the national service, particularly for participation in the camp activities.

The NYSC Coordinator in Lagos State, Mrs Yetunde Baderinwa, made the disclosure in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria, on August 3, 2024, where she explained that the corps members “must undergo the one-year IT with evidence of completion before going for HND, and institutions must confirm this before admitting them for HND.”

“The directive will take effect from the next orientation camp, and we will not register any candidate who did not complete or undergo the process,” Baderinwa said.

Speaking with The PUNCH on Thursday, NYSC spokesman, Lembu, confirmed that the implementation of the policy had started.

“That is part of the requirement for obtaining an HND Certificate, isn’t it? So, it’s just that certificate. That is one of the documents they are required to present at the camp. They would get admission into the camp, but whether they would be registered or not is the issue. You know, everyone is admitted to the camp, and your documents are scrutinised. But what happens is that that is the requirement.”

Lembu noted that polytechnic students would “are supposed to do the 12-month training,” as a pre-condition for earning the HHD certificate.

“It is a prerequisite for getting the HND certificate. That is just the certificate they are asking for. They are not being rejected, they are just supposed to present it,” she said.

However, checks by The PUNCH showed that HHD holders without IT certificates were being turned back from NYSC orientation camps across the country.

In Osun State, the NYSC Public Relations Officer in the state, Funmi Okundaye, said the policy was being implemented.

“They were not evicted from camp. It is not an issue in the Osun camp alone. It is a national policy to sanitise the education sector. We sent those who don’t have IT letters back home to bring it. It is part of the registration materials they must bring to camp.

“Once they bring their IT letters from where they observed it, they will be allowed to return to the camp,” Okundaye said.

It was a similar situation in Niger State, where the NYSC spokesman in the state, Sam Oga, confirmed that polytechnic graduates without IT certificates were not being registered.

“Yes, we are implementing it. The NYSC HND candidates are not allowed into the camp without proof of IT. Until we get a counter directive they will not be allowed into the the camp,” Oga said.

The policy was also implemented in Kano State, where an NYSC official, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said, “This is a directive from the NYSC headquarters in Abuja. So, we are just complying with the order.”

In an interview with The PUNCH on Thursday, the National President of the Academic Staff Union of Polytechnics, Mr Shammah Kpanja, backed the NYSC policy.

“The industrial attachment is an extension of the National Diploma programme and is a critical requirement for advancing to the Higher National Diploma. To be eligible for the HND, you must complete a one-year industrial attachment, where you acquire practical industry skills relevant to your field of study. After completing the IT, you can then enroll for the HND.

“However, some students bypass this requirement by staying at home after their ND and falsely claiming to have completed the IT when they apply for the HND. This deprives them of the practical experience that is essential for their development. The one-year industrial attachment is not just a formality; it’s a mandatory part of the training, and the skills gained during this period are expected to be demonstrated during the HND programme.”

The ASUP President explained that NYSC’s decision not to admit polytechnic graduates without IT certificates followed a communication to the scheme by the National Board for Technical Education.

“The one-year IT is compulsory and is a key criterion for admission into the HND. The National Board for Technical Education has communicated to the National Youth Service Corps that IT is mandatory, ensuring that students who skipped this step are not mobilised for the NYSC. The entire programme spans five years, and the inclusion of the industrial attachment is fully supported as it provides invaluable experience for students,” Kpanja said.