Does NYSC Use Year of Graduation or Year of Mobilization?
Nigerian graduates preparing to go for one-year mandatory NYSC service often face a confusing question: does NYSC use your year of graduation or your year of mobilization to determine eligibility and batch placement?
The answer, like many things in life, isn’t as simple as a yes or no.
Which Year Do NYSC Use?
The answer is neither and both, in a way. While your year of graduation plays an important role in determining your age eligibility for NYSC, it’s actually the year of mobilization that dictates your official service batch and participation in the orientation camp.
Let’s break it down:
- Age Eligibility: NYSC has a strict age limit of 30 years at the time of graduation. This means if you graduate after turning 30, you’re automatically exempted from service. To verify your age, they rely on the date of birth you provided to JAMB during your university admission application.
- Year of Mobilization: This refers to the specific batch (e.g., Batch A, Batch B, Batch C) in which you’ll participate in the orientation camp and commence your service year. NYSC typically mobilizes graduates twice or thrice every year, and the timing depends on several factors like university graduation timelines and available capacity at orientation camps.
Here’s how it works in practice:
Say you graduated in June 2023, but weren’t mobilized for the Batch B stream that same year.
- Your year of graduation (2023) remains unchanged, but you might only be mobilized for the next batch (e.g., Batch C or even Batch A in 2024) depending on NYSC’s schedule.
- Your service year will always begin from the date you report to the orientation camp, regardless of your year of graduation. So, even if you’re mobilized a year or two after graduation, your service year officially starts from the camp date.
Do you have any further questions about NYSC mobilization? Share them in the comments below and let’s keep the conversation going!