By Nkechi Eze
The National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) has called on Vice-Chancellors of Nigerian universities to strengthen institutional collaboration with the Scheme by ensuring that only qualified and duly accredited graduates are presented for mobilization for national service.
The call was made by the Director General of NYSC, Brigadier General Olakunle Nafiu, during an interactive session with the Committee of Vice-Chancellors (CVC) of Nigerian universities in Abuja. According to an official statement signed by the NYSC Director of Information and Public Relations, Caroline Embu, the meeting focused on strengthening the integrity of the mobilization process and addressing emerging challenges posed by unqualified graduates and irregular documentation from some institutions.
Brigadier General Nafiu appealed to the Vice-Chancellors to ensure proper documentation and verification of all students, particularly those on inter-university transfers, to prevent unqualified graduates, especially those from unaccredited institutions in Benin Republic and Togo from being included in mobilization lists. He emphasized that credible mobilization begins with credible academic records and urged the universities to take full responsibility for vetting their graduates.
The NYSC helmsman commended the Vice-Chancellors for their leadership and contribution to producing graduates who are globally competitive and worthy in both learning and character. He, however, pointed out that the efficiency of the mobilization process in some institutions had been undermined by poor information and communication technology (ICT) infrastructure and limited digital literacy among some staff.
He noted that the entire NYSC mobilization process has now been fully automated and urged universities to upgrade their ICT facilities and deploy competent personnel to manage them. “Some registrars and student affairs officers, due to poor ICT knowledge, have been known to give their login details to unauthorized persons, creating room for sharp practices. Such actions compromise the integrity of the mobilization process and must be stopped,” he warned.
Brigadier General Nafiu further expressed concern over unauthorized correspondences sent to the NYSC by individuals impersonating university officials. He stressed that the Scheme only recognizes communications duly signed by Vice-Chancellors or Registrars. “It is important to clarify that NYSC only attends to communications that are signed by Vice-Chancellors or Registrars, and not by any other parties,” he cautioned.
He urged institutions to promptly notify the Mobilization and ICT Departments of the Scheme whenever they encounter difficulties in uploading graduate lists, to avoid delays or errors. The DG also decried the increasing requests from some institutions for alteration of prospective corps members’ data, especially in relation to dates of birth and graduation, warning that such actions could lead to misrepresentation and inaccurate mobilization.
He clarified that NYSC sources its primary mobilization data from the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) and verifies all bio-data through the National Identity Management Commission (NIMC). “Any discrepancies between what a prospective corps member provided at matriculation and what is recorded by JAMB are deemed unacceptable. When institutions or prospective corps members present genuine cases, such as errors in names or dates, they are advised to contact JAMB to correct such records and ensure they align with those at NIMC,” he said.
The DG also disclosed that the Scheme would soon commence implementation of a new policy that requires prospective corps members to present proof of compliance with the Nigeria Education Repository and Databank (NERD) requirements once pending issues surrounding the policy are resolved.
Brigadier General Nafiu reaffirmed NYSC’s readiness to work closely with universities and other corps-producing institutions to ensure the smooth mobilization of eligible graduates. “As chief executives of universities, we trust in your readiness to assist us in successfully discharging our mandate, just as NYSC remains committed to helping you achieve your objectives,” he added.
Responding on behalf of his colleagues, the Vice-Chancellor of Igbinedion University, Okada, and Chairman of the Committee of Vice-Chancellors, Professor Lawrence Ezemonye, commended the NYSC Director General for his proactive leadership style and dedication to improving the nation’s educational and youth development systems. He assured that all lapses identified in the universities’ handling of the mobilization process would be promptly addressed, pledging the Committee’s continued support for the NYSC’s efforts to uphold credibility and accountability in the national service scheme.
