More than 25,000 Nigerian graduates who studied in the Republic of Niger are yet to commence their National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) programme, seven years after completing their education, according to the National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS).
What should have been a straightforward transition into national service has instead become a prolonged and unresolved crisis, leaving thousands of graduates stranded, with stalled careers and uncertain futures.
Speaking in Abuja on Thursday, NANS President, Abubakar Muhammad Uwaisu, said the affected individuals fulfilled all necessary academic and legal requirements but have continued to face exclusion from the NYSC mobilisation process.
He stressed that the graduates attended recognised and accredited universities in the Republic of Niger, secured clearance from the Federal Ministry of Education, and duly registered with the NYSC.
“These are legitimate graduates who followed due process in every respect, yet they remain locked out of national service through no fault of their own,” he said.
Uwaisu further lamented that the situation, which has persisted for seven years without a clear resolution, has left many of the affected graduates in prolonged uncertainty, with their aspirations delayed and their lives effectively on hold.
Credit: Vanguard
