Exempting Part-Time Graduates from NYSC Is Injustice — FUOYE Law Dean

The Dean of the Faculty of Law at the Federal University Oye-Ekiti (FUOYE), Professor Simon Olufemi Abifarin, has called for a legal challenge to the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) guidelines that exclude part-time graduates from participating in the mandatory one-year service scheme.

Speaking at an academic forum, Prof. Abifarin described the exemption of part-time students from NYSC as a clear injustice, arguing that the law does not support such exclusion. According to him, the NYSC is relying on internally created guidelines that effectively violate the rights of thousands of Nigerian graduates.

“Nobody has challenged this in court. This is the area I’m interested in. Why should you exclude part-time students who are also graduates?” Prof. Abifarin asked.

He cited the NYSC Act, which states that any Nigerian graduate under the age of 30 must serve or risk being excluded from employment in both the public and private sectors. The dean insisted that denying part-time graduates access to NYSC certification leaves them stranded despite fulfilling all academic requirements for graduation.

“When you graduate someone who is a part-time student and then deny them the opportunity to serve, you have done injustice to that person. He is a Nigerian and is entitled to mingle and understand what is happening in Nigeria,” he said.

Abifarin further emphasized that part-time students are often products of circumstance, not academic inadequacy. Many resort to part-time studies due to financial, family, or personal constraints, he noted, adding that they deserve equal opportunities in national integration and employment.

He urged bodies like the National Open University of Nigeria (NOUN), legal professionals, and civil rights organizations to take up the issue and challenge the NYSC guideline in court.

“These are areas the government and NYSC should take a second look at. The system must be fair to all Nigerian graduates, regardless of how they earned their degree,” he concluded.