Higher National Diploma (HND) graduates who completed part-time National Diploma (ND) programs have expressed outrage over a proposed policy that could exclude them from participating in the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) scheme.
The protest began on Monday, January 6, as registration for the second stream of Batch C mobilisation started. The affected graduates gathered at the NYSC Secretariat in Lagos, carrying placards with messages such as “Say No To Discrimination in NYSC” and “Equal Rights for All.” They demanded their inclusion in the NYSC programme.
Majaro Temitope, a graduate of Yaba College of Technology, spoke on behalf of the protesters. He described the policy as discriminatory and unfair to graduates who had worked hard to transition 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,” Temitope said.
He added that they had written letters to relevant authorities, including the Director-General of NYSC and the Ministry of Education, but had not received any response.
“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,” Temitope explained.
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The protest also drew support from the Education Rights Campaign (ERC). A representative of the group, Adebola Osunfunrewa, criticised the policy, calling it another indication of the challenges facing 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?” Osunfunrewa said.
In response to the demonstration, the Lagos NYSC Coordinator, represented by Assistant Director Ehimuenma Itohan, assured the protesters that their concerns had been communicated to the NYSC Director-General. Itohan urged the graduates to remain calm and promised that their grievances were being taken 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.