Dr. Olatunji Alausa, Nigeria’s Minister of Education, promised that he had authorised a memo to the NYSC Director-General for the mobilisation of Nigerian polytechnic graduates and students who had previously been disqualified from the NYSC because they were enrolled in part-time courses. Following protests by impacted graduates drawing attention to their exclusion, this statement was released. The reason for the exclusion is a policy that disqualifies students who pursued a full-time Higher National Diploma (HND) after completing their National Diploma (ND) part-time.
After the graduates petitioned the National Board for Technical Education (NBTE) on behalf of the Concerned HND Graduates/Students group, the NBTE wrote to the NYSC to ask for their inclusion. When he visited Yaba College of Technology in Lagos, Alausa spoke to the students who were demonstrating and assured them that he was trying to find a solution. He underlined that the NBTE is in favour of their inclusion in NYSC and that he has arranged a meeting with the NYSC Director-General to complete the decision in two weeks.
Impacted graduates urged the NA to guarantee their prompt mobilisation.
The minister also advised Nigerian youths and students to refrain from sharing disparaging remarks about their nation on social media, saying that young people in the U.S. and the U.K. do not do so. The impacted graduates, meantime, have also urged the National Assembly (NA) to step in and guarantee their prompt mobilisation. A number of students and professionals have expressed differing views on freedom of expression in reaction to the minister’s request for Nigerian youths to refrain from posting derogatory stories on social media. Numerous students contend that repressing dissent could jeopardise constitutional rights and that challenging government policies is an essential component of democratic participation.
In Nigeria, Social Media platforms are frequently the only easily accessible forum for marginalised voices to voice their complaints and demand accountability, according to policy analysts like Adeola Akinyemi, who has warned that drawing comparisons between Nigeria and Western democracies like the US and the UK oversimplifies complex social dynamics. According to a 2020 poll conducted by the Nigeria Internet Policy Initiative, more than 70% of young Nigerians discuss sociopolitical matters online, underscoring the significance of preserving an open and critical dialogue in a thriving democracy.
More clarifications or changes to the policy are anticipated.
It is expected that additional information about the mobilisation of the impacted polytechnic graduates will be available in the next two to four weeks after the planned meeting between the NYSC Director-General and the Minister of Education. More clarifications or changes to the policy are anticipated to be made through official government channels and NYSC communication platforms. Stakeholders, such as the National Board for Technical Education and the Concerned HND Graduates/Students group, are keeping a close eye on the situation.
By often reviewing these sources for the most recent news, readers are encouraged to keep informed. As part of a larger effort to standardise academic credentials among service members, the NYSC exclusion policy was initiated for polytechnic graduates who finished part-time National Diploma (ND) programs prior to enrolling in full-time Higher National Diploma (HND) studies. The goal of the policy is to bring the educational experiences of polytechnic graduates into line with those of their university counterparts by guaranteeing that all participants in the national service program have completed a uniform amount of academic and practical training.
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About 25% to 30% of polytechnic students chose part-time ND courses in 2023, according to new statistics from the National Board for Technical Education. This decision was largely made because of budgetary limitations and the necessity for flexible learning schedules. The approximately 25% growth in part-time enrolment over the last five years has led officials to wonder if these students receive the same level of training and rigour as those enrolled in full-time programs. Critics counter that although the goal is to maintain educational standards, the program can unintentionally penalise students who are struggling financially, thus exacerbating already-existing educational disparities in Nigeria.