- She clarified that prospective corps members must complete their one-year industrial training before advancing to the Higher National Diploma (HND) program
The National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) has announced that polytechnic graduates who lack proof of completing the mandatory 12-month industrial training (IT) will not be allowed to register for the national youth service.
NYSC’s acting Director of Press and Public Relations, Caroline Lembu, told Punch on Thursday that presenting an industrial training certificate is now a key requirement for polytechnic graduates to participate in the one-year national service.
This policy change, recently introduced by the NYSC, mandates that graduates from polytechnics and monotechnics must provide evidence of completing their industrial training before they can take part in orientation camp activities.
Lagos State NYSC Coordinator, Yetunde Baderinwa, reiterated this policy in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria on August 3, 2024.
She clarified that prospective corps members must complete their one-year industrial training before advancing to the Higher National Diploma (HND) program, a requirement that institutions must verify before admission.
“The directive will be enforced starting from the next orientation camp, and we will not register any candidate who has not fulfilled this requirement,” Baderinwa stated.
Speaking further with Punch, Lembu confirmed the policy’s implementation, emphasizing that the industrial training certificate is essential for camp registration. “It’s part of the requirement for obtaining an HND certificate. Candidates may be admitted to the camp, but their documents, including the IT certificate, will be scrutinised before they are officially registered.”
Lembu added that completing the 12-month industrial training is a precondition for earning the HND certificate and should not be bypassed. “The IT certificate is not just a formality; it is mandatory for all polytechnic students.”
Reports have surfaced of HND holders without IT certificates being turned away from NYSC orientation camps nationwide. In Osun State, NYSC’s Public Relations Officer, Funmi Okundaye, confirmed that the policy is being strictly enforced.
The policy has received support from the Academic Staff Union of Polytechnics (ASUP). In a Thursday interview, ASUP National President, Shammah Kpanja, explained that the industrial attachment is a critical extension of the National Diploma program and a prerequisite for advancing to the HND.
“Some students attempt to bypass this requirement, claiming to have completed the IT when they apply for the HND, which deprives them of essential practical experience. The one-year industrial attachment is not optional; it’s a crucial part of the training,” Kpanja said.
Kpanja added that NYSC’s enforcement of this policy follows a directive from the National Board for Technical Education, ensuring that only those who have completed the industrial training are mobilised for national service.
“The inclusion of industrial attachment is fully supported as it provides invaluable experience for students and is a key criterion for admission into the HND program,” he concluded.