NBTE Blames Polytechnics for NYSC Mobilization Delays

By 𝔸bdulrazak Tomiwa

The National Board for Technical Education (NBTE) has blamed polytechnics for delays in NYSC mobilisation. 

The board stated that many institutions fail to follow regulatory guidelines, leaving thousands of HND graduates stranded and unable to serve.

A major cause is over-enrollment and the operation of unaccredited programmes. The NBTE refuses to forward names of graduates from these courses to the NYSC portal, creating massive administrative backlogs and bottlenecks for students.

The board also highlighted “illegal admissions” conducted outside the JAMB Central Admissions Processing System. Without valid JAMB numbers, these students cannot be verified for eligibility, leading to their exclusion from the mandatory service year.

Some polytechnics further complicate matters by attempting to mobilise part-time students for full-time service. Since the NYSC maintains strict full-time study requirements for qualification, these unconventional graduates are frequently rejected and left in professional limbo.

Additionally, the recent increase in corps members’ monthly allowance to N77,000 has pressured government funding. Consequently, the NYSC must stick strictly to institutional quotas, often failing to accommodate the high volume of annual graduates.

Addressing the board’s commitment to sanitizing the sector, the NBTE’s NYSC Desk Officer, Dauda Baba-Halal, stated, “The NBTE wishes to categorically state that it does not condone, support, or tolerate any form of certificate racketeering or academic fraud.

“The integrity of Nigeria’s technical education system is paramount, and any institution found to be involved in such malpractice will face the full weight of regulatory sanctions”