There have been several questions from my readers on NYSC and the issuance of certificates. This post contains the direct answers to that collection of questions. I’ll be talking about how and where to collect a certificate, what to do if a certificate is lost, and much more.
1. Where Will NYSC Certificate Be Issued
Certificate of National Service is issued to State Secretariats at the Directorate headquarters through the State Certification Officers for delivery to deserving Corps members.
In certain conditions, however, NYSC may issue certificates to corps members at their local government of service. For instance, in coping with the COVID-19 protocol of social and physical distancing to contain the spread of the virus, the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) revolved to issuing Certificates of National Service (CNS) to corps members who passed out on May 28, at local government councils.
2. What are the Conditions to be Met Before NYSC Issues Discharged Certificates
As a serving corps, there are certain things that must be done as required of you before you can merit the NYSC discharged certificate. As such, only Corps members duly discharged from the National Service and Certificated on presentation of;
- letters of clearance from employers,
- CDS Inspectors and,
- NYSC I.D card
… are issued with Certificates.
However, even with the presentation of all the items listed above, a few other conditions may still hinder you from getting your discharged certificate. That takes us to the next question.
3. Why Will NYSC Withheld Discharged Certificates
- If you have a pending disciplinary case, you won’t be given your certificate until cleared. This may not necessarily mean you would have to serve again before being discharged. Depending on the nature of your offense, you might be called to report later to collect the certificate or be asked to serve again.
- If you’ve benefited from War Against Poverty (WAP) loan facility, your certificate will only be issued on the full repayment of the loans.
- If you don’t present for the collection of the certificate on the passing out date. Such a certificate will be returned to the NYSC National Directorate Headquarters, Abuja. After which you may need to travel to the office to collect yours.
4. What Should I do If I Lose the Certificate of Discharge/or Exemption or Exclusion Letter?
It’s not uncommon to lose your NYSC certificates, exemption certificates, or conclusion letters. Below are the steps to follow in each case.
1. Lost NYSC Discharged or Exemptions Certificate?
In the case of a lost, burnt, damaged, or stolen Certificate, the following documents must be presented or sent to the NYSC secretariat of the state of service or National headquarters.
- Police Extract/Report,
- Court Affidavit,
- Letter of Introduction from where the Ex-Corps member is discharged i.e. State of Service and
- Where available, a copy of the lost Certificate
NOTE: NYSC doesn’t reprint lost or burnt Certificates. Instead, they issue Letters of Confirmation that purposefully serve or represent your certificate and discharge of national service.