The National Universities Commission (NUC) will review the exclusion of National Open University of Nigeria (NOUN) graduates from the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC). The initial policy reflected NOUN’s past student profile of working professionals above the service age limit. However, there has been a significant shift in demographics.
Many recent graduates are now under 30 years old. Abdullahi Ribadu, the NUC executive secretary, stated, “I want to assure you, at NUC, we will engage with NYSC to see what policy changes can be made in order for NOUN graduates to be accommodated, because the dynamics have changed.” This engagement aims to re-evaluate the mobilization framework for these graduates.
Current restrictions on NOUN graduates are seen as putting them at a disadvantage. President Bola Tinubu supports their inclusion in the NYSC scheme. During NOUN’s 15th convocation, Oba Ewuare II, the chancellor, emphasized that equity and justice demand no graduate of a recognized Nigerian university should suffer due to their mode of education.
NOUN had a total of 24,575 graduands at this convocation. This included 17,474 undergraduate degrees, 1,788 postgraduate diplomas, 5,282 master’s degrees, and 31 doctoral degrees awarded. The chancellor called for the removal of impediments preventing eligible NOUN graduates from participating in NYSC.
NOUN’s research enterprise has recorded remarkable progress—reflecting a commitment to scholarly excellence. Observers expect that this review could lead to significant changes in how NOUN graduates are treated concerning national service requirements.