The National Youth Service Corps Scheme, NYSC, has provided insight into how an undercover reporter, who had previously participated in the compulsory one-year program in 2019, managed to be mobilized for the same program in 2023. During a discussion on a Channels Television program, the Director of Public Affairs, NYSC, Mr. Eddy Megwa, explained that the reporter altered his email address and phone number to re-enter the program.

Megwa emphasized that the NYSC has checks and balances in place to detect potential breaches of the system. He revealed that the reporter's initial attempt to input his data was rejected by the system due to his prior service in the scheme. However, the reporter successfully manipulated the system by changing his contact information, leading to his acceptance into the program and initial posting to Osun State.

Despite the incorporation of the National Identification Number (NIN) into the scheme three years ago, Megwa acknowledged the failure of the system to detect the disparities between the reporter's NIN data and the information provided during his second mobilization. When questioned about the verification of individuals with foreign certificates, Megwa stated that it is not the NYSC's responsibility to assess their certificates. He mentioned that the scheme invites foreign students and administers tests to evaluate their abilities, revealing that this process has uncovered surprising inadequacies in some cases.

Megwa also highlighted the NYSC's collaboration with the Federal Ministry of Education, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and other agencies to monitor individuals pursuing foreign studies and verify their credentials upon their return. Meanwhile, Okechukwu Favour, the President of the National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS) in the Republic of Benin, appealed to the Federal Government to reconsider the blanket ban on certificates and degrees from higher institutions in that country. Favour expressed concern for over 15,000 Nigerian students studying in Benin Republic, emphasizing that the ban could adversely affect legitimate students at various stages of their studies.

The Federal Government had imposed a ban on graduates from certain foreign universities following an exposé by a reporter who obtained a degree from a university in Benin Republic within six weeks and was subsequently mobilized for the NYSC program. The Minister of Education, Prof. Tahir Mamman, SAN, disclosed the establishment of a committee to evaluate the entire system of accrediting foreign universities and assessing their programs.

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