NYSC PROGRAMME IN NIGERIA –EVERYTHING YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT NYSC

The National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) is a Nigerian government established scheme set up in 1973 under the military regime of General Yakubu Gowon. With the aim of incorporating Nigerian graduates into developmental and nation-building efforts, the scheme has been subjecting them to service years since 1973.

Notably, Nigerian graduates (including university and polytechnic alumni) are mandated for service in the NYSC. However, there are certain conditions that can exempt Nigerian graduates from the service.

While such conditions will be explained later in this article, you’re certain to find out more essential information about NYSC as you read this article further. If you’re a Nigerian undergraduate in his/her final year, it is very likely that the information in this article will greatly interest you.

NYSC Merit Attachment

Serving in the Nigeria Youth Service Corps is a compulsory action for Nigerian graduates who would like to secure employment in government-established agencies, departments, etc. In cases where such graduates are deemed ineligible for service in the NYSC, it is mandatory for them to receive the appropriate exemption certifications.

The merit attached to NYSC is entrenched in the eligibility it guarantees Nigerian graduates for employment into governmental establishments and majority of private establishments in the country.

An Overview of the Service Operation

For their service in the scheme, eligible Nigerian graduates are transferred to various Nigerian states apart from their states of origin. Inevitably, this conditions such graduates to associate with Nigerians of other social, family or ethnic backgrounds. Also, they tend to get accustomed to (or simply learn about the) traditions of the states to which they have been transferred for their service.

In the light of NYSC service operation, it is indisputable that one of the scheme’s core objectives is fostering unity among Nigerians. Therefore, NYSC conditions its participants to live among people of ethnicities different from the participants’.

Structurally, NYSC service operation involves a number of stages which every participant is expected to undergo. Some of these stages are the “orientation period” (during which participants are stationed in a military-guided camp for 3 weeks) and a “passing out ceremony” which occurs after the “orientation period”.

NYSC Eligibility

The overarching eligibility requirement for NYSC is being a graduate under the age of 30. Any Nigerian graduates who are 30 or above (at the point of graduation) will not be deemed qualified for the programme. Instead, such persons will be issued NYSC Discharge Certificates, otherwise known as Certificates of Exemption.

NYSC allows those who graduated before the age of 30 years to defer their service year. Assuredly, such people are permitted to return (at any age) to undergo the deferred service. One essential thing to note here is that such persons’ certificates of graduation must have certified that they were below the age of 30 years at the point of graduation.

Besides being a graduate below the age of 30 years, another notable eligibility requirement for NYSC is freedom from disabilities. Particularly, NYSC permits disabled graduates to exempt themselves from the service. People who have records of 2 or more years of service in the Nigerian military or paramilitary sector are also allowed to exempt themselves from the service.

Exemption from NYSC is also granted to graduates who underwent part-time education (CEP). Such graduates are issued Exemption Letters, detailing that they are not eligible for service in the NYSC.

♦NYSC CAMP REGISTRATION REQUIREMENT

The National youth service corp (NYSC) has released the requirements for the registration at the camp by the 2020 Batch ‘A’ prospective corps members.

The requirements are as follows

(a) Original Call-up Letter or Call-up Letter printed on-line

(b) Statement of Result endorsed by authorized officer with authentic signature.

(c) School Identity Card, including travelling Passport for Foreign-trained graduates.

(d) Medical Doctors, Pharmacists, Physiotherapists and Optometrists are to produce evidence of Registration with their Professional Bodies.

(e) Prospective Corps members should go to Camp with Functional Account Number and Bank Verification Number (BVN) to facilitate online payment of entitlements.

(f) In addition, each prospective corps member MUST present Certificate of Fitness from a Government or Military Hospital showing his/her health status before he/she will be registered and admitted for the orientation course.

♦HOW TO APPLY AND GET YOUR NYSC EXCEPTION CERTIFICATE

According to the National Youth Service Corps Decree 1993 section 2 subsection (1) it is stipulated that With effect from 1st August, 1985, a person shall NOT be called upon to serve in the service corps if, at the date of graduation or obtaining his diploma or other professional qualification he or she;

1. Is over the age of thirty (30) years
2. Has served in the Armed Forces of the Federation or the Nigeria Police Force for a period of more than nine months
3. Is a member of staff of any of the following:
   • The Nigerian Security Organization or
   • The State Security Service, or
   • The National Intelligence Agency or
   • The Defence Intelligence Service.
4. He has been conferred with any National Honour.

Eligibility For NYSC certificate of exemption: Nigerian Graduates either home or oversea trained who have the stipulated qualification of (B.SC, B.A or HND) from approved or accredited Institution by (NUC, NTBE or NCCE) are eligible for Exemption Certificate however while foreign trained graduates must submit their Certificates at the Mobilization Department for Evaluation

Checking out from the condition above, a PCM will tell if he or she is eligible to apply for the NYSC certificate of exemption.

If you are eligible for this, then read below on how to obtain it.

PROCESS OF COLLECTION OF NYSC CERTIFICATE OF EXEMPTION

HOME TRAINED GRADUATES

• The tertiary institutions attended. The School submits the master list of their graduates alongside with the Senate approved result to NYSC.
• A print-out is processed by NYSC classifying those to be called up for service and those to be exempted. This print-out is sent back to the Institutions for verification and corrections after which they are returned to NYSC as an agreed/corrected document.
• With the print-out, the Certificates of Exemption are produced, documented and sent back to the Institutions for issuance to the appropriate persons.
• Please note: Collection of Certificate of Exemption for home trained graduates is only done in the Institution of graduation and not in NYSC office.

FOREIGN TRAINED GRADUATES

• The process begins with the evaluation of credentials and other related documents i.e. International passport.
• After the evaluation of credentials the foreign trained graduate is then registered and this is physically done at the NYSC directorate headquarters, Abuja. It is at the point of registration that the classification of who to be called-up or who to be exempted; is determined.
• Certificates of Exemption are therefore produced for those exempted from service.
• Such Certificates of Exemption for foreign graduates are to be collected at the NYSC directorate headquarters at the stipulated time communicated.
• Please note:
  • Collection of Certificate of Exemption is grouped under the three batches of the service year, depending on the date of registration. This equally would be communicated to exempted graduates at the point of registration.
  • Collection of Certificate of Exemption is strictly with identification such as International passport and the bearer MUST BE PHYSICALLY PRESENT.

CC: www.nysc.gov.ng

Conclusion

We strongly believe that this article has provided you with substantial information about NYSC. Particularly, it must have made you realize the conditions that qualify Nigerian graduates for service year in the NYSC.