The future of over 13, 000 graduates of the University of Lagos, UNILAG, is in jeopardy after the university failed to provide them with graduation certificates. As a result, students enrolled in the 2018/2019 academic year were unable to participate in the obligatory National Youth Service Corps, or NYSC, program.

The medical graduates who have not been recognized by the Medical and Dental Council of Nigeria, a body whose affiliation they need to obtain a license to practice the noble profession, have been hit the hardest by the rise.

Dawodu told a press conference in Abuja that the fate of the affected students prompted him to pursue a solution, especially for medical students whose hopes for a bright future are now in jeopardy.

“I was particularly concerned about the medical students who are unable to secure employment or even attend the mandatory NYSC because they could not present a graduating certificate to the Nigerian Education Board in order to obtain a medical license. The students cannot practice their profession because they do not have licences and they cannot get a license without a graduating certificate,” he said. Explaining his dismay at the development, Mr Dawodu noted that “the problem has existed for over 15 months and not a single leader or person in Nigeria has thought it painful enough to do something about it.”

Mr Dawodu expressed his disappointment by saying, “The problem has existed for over 15 months and not a single leader or person in Nigeria has thought it painful enough to do something about it.”

Barrister Tietie also spoke, giving a brief account of his results, narrating the students’ ordeal as follows:

“The management of the university has not been able to give us a convincing answer but blames its inability to issue the certificates on the COVID-19 pandemic. While we agree that the coronavirus could be a valid reason for convocation not to hold; the virus shouldn’t be a reason for failing to issue certificates. The excuse is totally unacceptable,” he said. The Barrister-at-Law has therefore petitioned Education Minister, Mallam Adamu Adamu, Registrar and Secretary to the Governing Council of the University to take urgent steps to resolve the issue, failing which he would seek redress on behalf of Toyin Dawodu within the next seven days.