A Facebook user, Obidient Voice, has claimed that holders of Higher National Diploma (HND) are no longer eligible to partake in the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC).
He posted the claim with a caption thus: “No more NYSC for HND graduate’s.”
READ: No, Tinubu has not reduced corps members’ allowance
The post has generated over 100 likes and more than 60 comments as of January 11, 2025.
CLAIM
HND holders are no longer eligible for NYSC.
THE FINDINGS
Findings by The FactCheckHub reveal that the claim is MOSTLY FALSE.
Checks indicate that the alleged exclusion affects only Higher National Diploma (HND) graduates who completed part-time National Diploma (ND) programmes and does not apply to all HND graduates, as suggested in the viral post.
According to Punch newspaper, some full-time HND graduates who had previously completed part-time ND programmes protested their exclusion from the NYSC scheme. This occurred during the commencement of registration for the second stream of Batch C mobilisation, which began on Monday, January 6, 2025.
The protesters, who gathered at the NYSC secretariat in Lagos, carried placards with messages such as “Say No To Discrimination in NYSC” and “Equal Rights for All,” demanding their inclusion in the scheme.
DON’T MISS THIS: Report that Osinbajo advised FG to suspend NYSC for two years is FALSE
The National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS) had earlier raised concerns that these students were being denied NYSC registration due to the “(P)” designation attached to their Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) registration numbers, signifying part-time status during their ND programmes.
Speaking with The FactCheckHub, Caro Lembu, Acting Director of Press at the NYSC headquarters in Abuja, refuted the viral claim suggesting that the exclusion is general.
“Not all polytechnic graduates are ineligible for service. It only applies to those who studied ND on a part-time basis,” she clarified.
THE VERDICT
The claim that HND graduates are no longer eligible for the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) scheme is MOSTLY FALSE; findings show that the directive is only applicable to HND holders who did part-time ND programmes.
EDITOR’S NOTE:
* The headline was corrected.
Nurudeen Akewushola is a fact-checker with FactCheckHub. He has authored several fact checks which have contributed to the fight against information disorder. You can reach him via [email protected] and @NurudeenAkewus1 via Twitter.