Nigerian National Youth Service Corps announces new policy exempting pregnant women, nursing mothers and post-graduate students from national service

NYSC Program: Policy Update

By Tom Okure, Ph.D

July 24, 2015

NYSC Exempts Pregnant Women, Nursing Mothers and Postgraduate Students From National Service

Photo credit: Nigerian Vanguard Newspaper

After a two-day pre-mobilization workshop held in Kaduna, Nigeria for the 2015 Batch “B” NYSC program, Brig-Gen. Johnson Olawumi, Director-General of the NYSC, announced a new NYSC policy which exempts pregnant women, nursing mothers and post-graduate students from national service because according to NYSC, they would not be able to effectively participate in the four main programs of the NYSC which includes mobilization, orientation, primary assignment and winding-up passing out parade.

This policy announcement closes a major loophole and programmatic weakness utilized by prospective corps members, especially pregnant women and nursing mothers whereby they would obtain medical waivers etc. enabling them to be absent from the critical

Photo credit: Nigerian Vanguard Newspaper

program stages of the national service, only to reappear later for posting to their various places of primary assignments.

NYSC Program Scheme


The NYSC scheme was created in a bid to reconstruct, reconcile and rebuild the country after the Nigerian Civil war. The unfortunate antecedents in our national history gave impetus to the establishment of the National Youth Service Corps by decree No.24 of 22nd May 1973 which stated that the NYSC is being established "with a view to the proper encouragement and development of common ties among the youths of Nigeria and the promotion of national unity". 

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Read More:

Vanguard News: NYSC bars pregnant women, nursing mothers, post graduate students from service

NYSC Official Website