Thousands of Higher National Diploma graduates from polytechnics across Nigeria are facing prolonged delays in their mobilisation for the mandatory national youth service, leaving many stranded months and, in some cases, years after completing their studies.
Many of the affected graduates blame administrative bottlenecks within their institutions as well as limited mobilisation slots allocated by the National Youth Service Corps.
The delays have disrupted career plans for many young graduates who say they are unable to secure jobs or move forward with their professional lives without completing the compulsory one-year service.
Although some initially suspected that the issue was related to admission documentation processed through the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board, the board clarified that it does not handle admissions into HND programmes. This clarification has shifted attention to institutional clearance procedures and the NYSC mobilisation process.
Graduates express frustration
Several affected graduates described the situation as frustrating and emotionally draining.
A graduate of Kaduna State Polytechnic, who identified himself simply as Usman, said he completed his programme two years ago but has yet to be mobilised for service despite submitting all required documents.
“They keep asking us to submit documents repeatedly, yet nothing changes. I submitted my regularisation printout but they said they could not find it. I submitted it again, and still nothing has happened. People keep asking about my NYSC status and it is frustrating,” he said.
Another graduate, Zainab Asmau, said the delay had caused serious emotional and financial pressure for many former students of the institution.
“This is not just a delay on paper. It has affected real lives. Qualified graduates are losing job opportunities simply because they cannot present an NYSC certificate,” she said.
Another graduate, Abubakar, said the situation had forced many to watch their peers move ahead with their careers.
“Imagine gaining admission before your younger brother. You graduate but while waiting for mobilisation, your younger brother has already finished his own programme and moved ahead. It is very painful,” he said.
However, an official of Kaduna State Polytechnic explained that the delay was partly due to the limited mobilisation slots allocated to institutions by the NYSC.
According to the official, the institution has thousands of graduates, but only a specific number can be mobilised during each service batch.
Similar complaints across institutions
Graduates from other polytechnics across the country have also raised similar concerns.
Idayat Folorunso, a graduate of Quantity Surveying from Kwara State Polytechnic, said she completed her programme in July last year but was still waiting to be mobilised.
“They told us they were working on our mobilisation even after the graduation list was released. Those who graduated before us also waited for almost a year,” she said.
At The Polytechnic Ibadan in Oyo State, another graduate, Ibrahim Koleoso, said many students had been waiting for months.
“I graduated last year and we are still expecting mobilisation. It is almost four months now. You cannot apply for jobs because most employers ask for NYSC certificates. Some people have even waited for eight months,” he said.
A former Students’ Union Government President of Adamawa State Polytechnic, Saheed Muhammed, also criticised the situation, alleging that polytechnic graduates often face disadvantages in the mobilisation process.
Documentation issues blamed in Kano
Some graduates of Kano State Polytechnic blamed the delay on documentation problems between institutions and the NYSC.
One graduate said he completed his programme in July 2025 but had spent more than eight months at home waiting for mobilisation.
“I graduated about eight months ago but I am still waiting. Even some university graduates are facing similar issues,” he said, noting that two of his friends from Bayero University Kano were also yet to be mobilised.
Responding to the complaints, the Head of Public Affairs at Kano State Polytechnic, Auwal Bagwai, said some graduates were rejected during the upload process due to unrecognised or invalid JAMB registration numbers.
He explained that affected graduates were advised to reprint their JAMB slips and re-upload them to correct the discrepancies.
Accreditation issues affect mobilisation
Graduates of Edo State Polytechnic are also reportedly experiencing delays.
The institution’s Public Relations Officer, John Eson, attributed the challenge to partial accreditation of some academic programmes.
He said the school had already written to the National Board for Technical Education requesting accreditation visits for the affected courses.
Education data indicate that universities and polytechnics collectively produce about 600,000 graduates every year, while the NYSC mobilises only between 240,000 and 350,000 corps members annually.
As a result, a large backlog of graduates has built up, with reports suggesting that more than 500,000 young Nigerians are currently waiting for mobilisation.
Analysts say the situation worsened after the Federal Government increased the monthly allowance for corps members from N33,000 to N77,000, which may have reduced the number of graduates mobilised per batch.
JAMB clarifies its role
Meanwhile, the Registrar of the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board, Is-haq Oloyede, said the board is not responsible for admissions into HND programmes or the mobilisation of graduates for the NYSC.
According to him, the board only handles admissions into National Diploma, degree and Nigeria Certificate in Education programmes.
NBTE blames institutions
The National Board for Technical Education said delays in mobilisation were often caused by institutions failing to follow proper academic procedures.
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The board’s Executive Secretary, Idris Bugaje, explained that students must complete the mandatory one-year Industrial Training after their National Diploma before proceeding to HND programmes.
He added that institutions are required to upload student records to the NBTE HND admission portal for proper verification before mobilisation can take place.
According to him, graduates from programmes that are not fully accredited may also face challenges during mobilisation.
Officials have therefore urged institutions experiencing mobilisation issues to communicate directly with either the NYSC or the NBTE to resolve the bottlenecks affecting thousands of graduates across the country.
