Hundreds of graduates of Niger College of Agriculture, Mokwa, Niger State, cannot be mobilized for the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) due to non-accreditation of their course since 2022.
When Hamzat Abdullahi gained admission for his HND into the Niger State College of Agriculture Mokwa in 2021, he knew that his course of study—Animal Health Technology—was not accredited. However, the institution told him that the course would be accredited before he graduated.
Abdullahi eventually finished the course with good grades as one of the top students in the Department of Animal Health Technology of the institution.
But one year after graduation, Abdullahi’s dreams seem to be fading away. He cannot get any decent job because he has yet to do the compulsory National Youth Service Corps. The course he studied is yet to get accreditation from the National Board for Technical Education.
He now survives on the treatment of sick animals in his village, where he charges a meagre N5.00 per animal. It is not enough for his upkeep but it is the only job he could do on his own.
Ibrahim Majin is another victim who shared his woes with NewsNGR. Also, a graduate of Animal Health Technology, he was lucky to be among the successful job applicants shortlisted by the Niger State Civil Service Commission.
However, when he was called for the interview, he was told to bring his NYSC certificate to be able to proceed with the final interview.
“I applied with HND and I was shortlisted among people for an interview. On getting there, I was asked to present my certificate for screening only to find that an NYSC certificate is required among my documents,” he told NewsNGR.
Abdullahi Mohammed, who graduated in 2023, is also yet to be mobilized for the NYSC.
NewsNGR found that in 2021 alone, 73 students enrolled on the course, while in 2022, 45 students enrolled. Only 34 students enrolled in 2023, according to records from the institution.
School Continues To Admit Students Into Unaccredited Course
Several students of the department who spoke to NewsNGR are apprehensive of the future due to the non-accreditation of the course.
Oluwafemi Joy, an HND II student of the college, said she was lured by the management to enrol in the course, saying that the management promised to accredit the course in no distance time.
“I enrolled because of my passion for the course and because the school gave us hope that the course would be accredited. That was what prompted me to apply,” she said.
She also revealed that they had heard that some graduates of the department were chased away when seeking jobs and called on the state government to intervene.
Dept. Of AHT/Photo-Credit| Yunusa Umar
Khadijat Usman, another student who is in her third year in the college, pleaded with management to accredit the course, fearing to face similar challenges to others before her.
“There have been three sets that graduated before us. Now, another set is set to graduate and they are saying that it is our set that they recognize,” the student said.
Conflicting Responses From The Authorities
When NewsNGR contacted Mr. Yusuf Doma, the institution’s registrar, he confidently told this reporter that the two courses were duly accredited.
“Anybody that is telling you that there is a course in the College of Agriculture Mokwa that is not accredited, that statement is false,” he declared.
However, the Commissioner of Tertiary Education in the state, Adamu Abdullahi Mamangi, said his ministry was aware of some courses not being accredited in the college.
“This government came into power in May 2023 and we inherited many educational problems. The then government approved monies for the accreditation, but the approval was not cash-backed. When we came on board, we activated that memo,” the commissioner said.
According to him, Governor Bago approved about 25 million Naira, which was paid to the accreditation authorities (National Board for Technical Education) in February 2024.
He explained that the NBTE had gone to the institution for resource inspection for the two courses, narrating that a further six-month incubation period is about to elapse.
He said after the incubation period, they will come for the real accreditation.
“So, after the accreditation, the course will be fully limited; the management of the college had initially wanted NBTE to allow them to write to NYSC to mobilize those they had graduated before they had that problem. But NBT said, No, they don’t do it that way,” the commissioner told NewsNGR.
Fatima Abubakar, the spokesperson of the National Board of Technical Education, confirmed to NewsNGR that the courses were approved but yet to be accredited by her agency.
“The programs were approved by NBTE but not yet accredited. However, the college has applied to NBTE for the accreditation of the programs. The application is currently being processed,” said Abubakar.
As it is, the future of the students and the graduates depends on the accreditation of the courses.