In a major policy shift, Minister of Education, Dr. Olatunji Alausa, has taken decisive steps to address the exclusion of some polytechnic graduates from the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) due to their part-time National Diploma (ND) background.

Speaking at Yaba College of Technology in Lagos on Friday, the minister affirmed that he had signed off on a memo directing the NYSC Director-General to mobilize the affected graduates.

Alausa’s intervention follows growing frustration among Higher National Diploma (HND) graduates who were disqualified from the one-year mandatory service due to a newly introduced policy.

The affected graduates, under the banner of Concerned Higher National Diploma (HND) Graduates/Students, had earlier petitioned the National Board for Technical Education (NBTE), which in turn wrote to the NYSC seeking a resolution.

During the visit, the minister was met by a group of aggrieved students holding placards and demanding an end to the exclusion policy. Addressing them, he assured them of his commitment to resolving the issue.

Beyond addressing the students’ concerns, Alausa also urged Nigerian youths to refrain from spreading negative narratives about the country, emphasizing national pride.

“Before I address your concern, I also have something to tell you.

“I want you to be good patriotic citizens of this country. There is a lot of negativity that your age group say about our country. We have a very good country.

“I have lived abroad and I live in Nigeria now. Nigeria is a great country. We should be proud of our country. Stop being negative about our country, and I want to use you to send that message out to your other colleagues and other citizens of Nigeria.

“About your part-time ND and full-time HND and not letting you do youth service, I can tell you that I’m fully aware of it, and I’m on top of it.

“The National Board for Technical Education (NBTE) Executive Secretary is also with you, and I’m also with you. I don’t see any reason why you should be disenfranchised from doing youth service.

“I asked the Director General of the NYSC to come and meet with me in my office in another two weeks. I can assure you that this will be resolved,” Alausa stated.

Reaffirming his commitment, the Minister disclosed that he had officially approved a memo to the NYSC leadership to ensure the inclusion of affected graduates in upcoming mobilizations.

He said, “There is no reason you must not be allowed to serve. The Executive Secretary of the National Board for Technical Education wrote to me. I have approved a memo to the NYSC DG to mobilize you people for service.

“I have also scheduled the NYSC DG to meet with me in the next two weeks. You must be allowed to serve.”

The affected graduates have also reached out to Senate President Godswill Akpabio, Speaker of the House of Representatives Tajudeen Abbas, and the National Assembly, seeking legislative intervention to ensure their inclusion in the next NYSC batch, Batch A, Stream 1, 2025.