NYSC Exemption Letter: Facts You Need to know

Learn what NYSC Exemption Letter is all about. See the Criteria for eligibility for NYSC Exemption Certificate, the process for collecting it and the disadvantages of NYSC exemption letter.

Facts About NYSC Exemption Letter

As we all know, NYSC is the short for National Youth Service Corps. It is a compulsory 1 year service rendered by fresh graduates of Nigerian tertiary institutions. When they have satisfactorily served for one year; they are issued a discharge certificate. This certificate shows that they completed their youth service year and forms a part of their CV.

However, as is true with most things that are compulsory; there are conditions under which some fresh graduates are exempted from engaging in national youth service. Those who meet these conditions are issued NYSC exemption certificate. So they can use the NYSC exemption letter in lieu of discharge certificate for job search and other career-related issues.

In this article, we shall try to answer the following questions… What is an NYSC exemption letter? Who is eligible to get an NYSC exemption letter? Where can NYSC exemption letter be obtained? How to print an NYSC exemption letter. And so on.

1. What is NYSC Exemption Letter?

The NYSC exemption letter is a document issued to any fresh graduate who is exempted from the NYSC one year compulsory service due to any of the reasons contained in section 2(1) of the National Youth Service Corps Decree of 1993. This exemption certificate is issued in lieu of NYSC Certificate of National Service if required.

2. Who is Eligible to get an NYSC Exemption Letter?

As pointed out above, the conditions and/or grounds for eligibility for NYSC exemption letter are contained in section 2 (1) of the National Youth Service Corps Decree of 1993. These conditions include:

a. Anyone; older than thirty (30) years by the time of graduation from a Nigerian university or polytechnic; can apply for an exemption certificate.

b. Anyone who is a staff member of any of four organization or agencies listed below can apply for a certificate of exemption. The Defence Intelligence Service. The National Intelligence Agency. The Nigerian Security Organization and The State Security Service.

c. Anyone who has served in the Nigerian Police or any arm of the Armed Forces of Nigeria for at least nine months can apply for a certificate of exemption.

4. Anyone who has been conferred with a National Honour can apply for an exemption certificate.

3. How to Collect NYSC Exemption Letter?

You must note that the process flow for applying and printing NYSC exemption letter is different for Nigerian graduates and foreign graduates. I’m going to furnish you with details on the differences so that you will know how to go about it depending on the category you belong to.

Read Also: NYSC Senate Approved List of All Institutions

Process for Collection of NYSC Exemption Letter for Nigerian graduates

For graduates that passed through a Nigerian tertiary institution; the process for collection of NYSC exemption certificate is as follows:

Your school (University, Polytechnic or College of Education) has to submit the master graduation lists. This list will show that you actually graduated from the school.

They are also required to submit your results as approved by the school Senate to the National Youth Service Corps. The NYSC will make a distinction between those that are to be called up for youth service and those that are to be exempted from it.
Thereafter, NYSC will forward a print-out containing the two categories to your school to verify. Your school will verify and/or make necessary corrections before sending it back to NYSC.
The certificate of exemption will be processed only after your institution has sent back the verified print-out to the NYSC office.

After processing and necessary documentation of the Certificate of Exemption, it will be sent to your institution. Your institution will then issue the certificates to the appropriate persons.
Note that people are free free to collect their certificate at their convenient time at the appropriate office in institution.

Note, also, that all individuals who graduated from Nigerian institutions can collect their NYSC Exemption Letter only at the institutions from where they graduated. It is only certificates of national service that are collected at the National Youth Service Corps office.

Process for Collection of NYSC Exemption Letter for Foreign graduates

For foreign graduates, the process for collection of NYSC exemption letter is quite different. I’m also going to outline them in steps.

1. Submit your credentials and related documents to the NYSC office.
2. The NYSC office will evaluate your credentials and documents.
3. Go to the National Youth Service Corps directorate headquarters in Abuja and complete a physical registration.
4. Your Exemption Certificate will be processed.
5. Collect your Certificate of Exemption at the National Youth Service Corps directorate headquarters at the time stipulated.
6. The collection of NYSC exemption letter can only be done in person with a valid means of identification such as International Passport.

How to Handle Complaints or Corrections Regarding NYSC Certificate of Exemption For Nigerian Graduates and Foreign Graduates

For one reason or the other, people have complaints regarding their NYSC exemption certificate. The complaint may be about a mistake in spelling or other data. Such mistakes always need to be corrected.

When there is such a case, it is expected that the one concerned would escalate it to NYSC via their institution.

It is then the responsibility of the institution to forward the complaints to NYSC. They, however, must forward that with other necessary documents.

The National Youth Service Corps will then effect the necessary for corrections and other necessary actions as may be required.

Foreign graduates who have complaints or need for corrections on their NYSC exemption certificate are to write an application. They must submit the application to the National Youth Service Corps directorate headquarters in Abuja.

They are to attach the original copy of their Certificate of Exemption and a photocopy of the data page of their International passport. This application must be addressed to the Director-General, NYSC NDHQ, Abuja with their full address and phone number properly written on it.

Application for Replacement of NYSC Exemption Letter For Nigerian graduates and Foreign Graduates

It’s possible for someone who has already obtained an NYSC Certificate of Exemption to lose it for one reason of the other. The possible reasons include: theft, fire outbreak or outright misplacement.

In that case, the person would need a replacement.

The following are the steps to take to replace the lost certificate.

• Write a letter of notification and request addressed to the Director-General, National Youth Service Corps. Note that this letter must pass through the institution you graduated from.
• Get a Police Report or Extract.
• Get a Court Affidavit.
• If you still have a photocopy of the misplaced Exemption Certificate, you can attach it to the letter.

More so, foreign graduates who have need for replacement of Exemption Certificate should:

• write a letter of notification and request addressed to the Director-General, National Youth Service Corps.
• get a Police Report or Extract.
• get a Court Affidavit.
• make available a photocopy of the data page of your International Passport.
• If you still have a photocopy of the misplaced Exemption Certificate, you can attach it to the letter.

How to print NYSC exemption letter?

Printing of exemption letter does not involve a complicated process. You just need to log on to the official NYSC online portal with your credentials and password. (i.e. if you have already created an account with NYSC portal portal.nysc.gov.ng). On the portal, look out for an option to print the Exemption Certificate. As a standing policy of the NYSC Scheme, you are not expected to reprint a lost or burnt certificate. A letter of confirmation must be issued to you instead.

Disadvantages of NYSC Exemption Letter