Daniel Otera
The National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) has commenced a nationwide physical verification exercise for foreign-trained Nigerian graduates registered for the 2025 Batch ‘C’ Service Year, tightening scrutiny on their academic and travel credentials in a renewed drive to curb certificate fraud and strengthen confidence in the national service system.
The three-day exercise, running from Monday, November 10 to Wednesday, November 12, 2025, is being conducted at nine centres across the country. It targets foreign-trained graduates whose credentials have not yet been physically authenticated following online registration.
Designated verification venues include: NYSC Secretariat, 2 Abakaliki Road, GRA, Enugu; Shadawanka Military Barracks, Bauchi; NYSC Orientation Camp, Kubwa, Abuja; Bukavu Military Barracks, Fagge, Airport Road, Kano; NYSC Orientation Camp, Iyana Ipaja, Lagos; NYSC Secretariat, New Ikirun Road, Osogbo; NYSC Secretariat, 40 Ikwerre Road, Port Harcourt; Eagle Officers Mess, Gingiya Military Barracks, Gusau Road, Sokoto; and NYSC Secretariat, Federal Secretariat Complex, Yola.
In a statement posted on its official X handle on Sunday night, November 9, the NYSC management said: “As part of measures to ensure orderliness and avoid overcrowding, prospective corps members are expected to strictly report on the date, time, and venue specified on their verification slip.”
The Corps warned that “only persons physically seen with credentials, physically verified and cleared would be deployed, exempted, or excluded from National Service.”
Read Also: NYSC Mobilization Now Tied to Mandatory Thesis Submission as FG Enforces NERD Policy
Medical graduates are required to present professional licences, registration certificates, and other relevant documents, while all other foreign-trained graduates must bring original copies of all documents uploaded during online registration, including passports showing study visas and entry/exit stamps. Original evaluation letters issued by the Federal Ministry of Education, where applicable, must be submitted at the NYSC Headquarters in Abuja, with acknowledged copies uploaded to the portal.
The verification exercise comes amid growing concerns over the rising number of unaccredited foreign institutions and fake degree certificates presented by Nigerian foreign-trained graduates. The Federal Ministry of Education has intensified scrutiny of foreign credentials in recent years, warning that many degrees obtained from certain schools in West Africa, Eastern Europe, and parts of Asia are not recognised in Nigeria.
Since 2018, hundreds of questionable foreign degrees have been identified annually, prompting closer collaboration between the Ministry and the NYSC to ensure that only foreign-trained graduates with valid and verifiable qualifications are mobilised for national service.
A senior NYSC official said the exercise is essential to protect the credibility of the service scheme. “This is not a mere formality. It’s about ensuring that every foreign-trained graduate who wears the NYSC uniform actually earned the qualification claimed,” the official stated.
Data from the NYSC’s 2023 annual report shows that 5,523,763 graduates had been mobilised for national service as of December 2023. A report by The Guardian Nigeria in August 2025 revealed that about 500,000 graduates were still awaiting mobilisation, largely due to administrative bottlenecks and verification delays. The breakdown showed 78,000 from 2022, 212,000 from 2023, 185,000 from 2024, and 65,000 newly registered for 2025.
“Maintaining rigorous verification is vital to prevent manipulation of the system,” an NYSC management source said. “When you have half a million pending mobilisations, the temptation for some to cut corners grows. Verification is how we protect the process, especially for foreign-trained graduates.”
The NYSC mobilisation system, one of the largest organised youth programmes in Africa, enrolls roughly 300,000 graduates annually from both local and foreign institutions. The Batch C 2025 registration window, which opened on November 4 and closed at midnight on November 11 following a 48-hour extension due to network issues, reflects the scale of the operation.
For foreign-trained graduates, the verification process is compulsory. Failure to appear at the specified centre, date, and time may lead to exclusion from the service year. Required documents include:
Original degree or HND certificate (no statement of result or attestation letter)
Original transcript
International passport showing student visa and entry/exit stamps
Evaluation letter from the Federal Ministry of Education (where required)
Practising licence or registration certificate for medical or health-related courses
The NYSC emphasises that failure to produce any of these documents will result in immediate disqualification from mobilisation.
Beyond logistics, the verification exercise reflects a broader institutional effort to preserve national service as a credible post-graduation rite. Established in 1973 to promote national unity and development, the NYSC now faces challenges related to globalisation, digital forgery, and the proliferation of unregulated foreign institutions.
Education policy experts note that Nigeria’s strict verification regime, particularly for foreign-trained graduates, could serve as a model for other countries grappling with credential authenticity. The NYSC’s stance has already led to the exposure of numerous fake certificates, preventing unqualified foreign-trained graduates from entering public institutions.