THE Minister of Education, Dr Tunji Alausa, has announced that all full-time Higher National Diploma (HND) graduates will now be mobilised for the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC).
The resolution of the long-standing issue regarding their mobilisation is contained in a statement made available to journalists in Abuja on Thursday by the Director of Press and Public Relations in the ministry, Folasade Boriowo.
Boriowo quoted Alausa as saying that after discussions with the Director-General of NYSC, only full-time HND graduates were eligible and could thereafter proceed with their mobilisation.
This development, he said, marked a major breakthrough for full-time HND graduates who were previously excluded from the NYSC programme.
According to him, it underscores the Federal Ministry of Education’s commitment to equity, fairness, and inclusivity in the nation’s education system.
“However, those who did HND part-time are not eligible for mobilisation at all.
“To facilitate a seamless mobilisation process, the National Board for Technical Education (NBTE) has been directed to expedite the collation of data for eligible HND graduates.
“In line with this, a circular has been sent to all Rectors of Polytechnics, instructing them to upload the necessary graduate data onto the newly created HND admission portal,” he said.
Alausa emphasised that NYSC mobilisation was strictly for those who completed a full-time HND programme.
He stressed that only full-time HND graduates would be mobilised, while those who did HND part-time remained ineligible.
He further disclosed that the newly created portal would ensure proper documentation of full-time HND graduates.
He added that this would also serve as the official database for NYSC mobilisation, addressing past challenges related to admission records.
The minister urged all eligible full-time HND graduates to take full advantage of this opportunity and proceed with their mobilisation without delay.
He reaffirmed the government’s commitment to fostering equal opportunities for all qualified Nigerian graduates and ensuring their contributions to national development through the NYSC scheme.
