Can I Use Church Marriage Certificate for NYSC?

If you are a female graduate who is married and wants to apply for the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) program, you may be wondering if you can use your church marriage certificate as proof of your marital status.

The answer is not straightforward, as different sources may give different opinions on this matter.

In this blog post, we will try to provide some clarity on this issue and help you make an informed decision.

What is NYSC and why do you need a marriage certificate?

NYSC is a one-year mandatory service program for Nigerian graduates who are below 30 years of age. The aim of the program is to foster national unity and development by posting corps members to different states of the country, where they are expected to contribute to the socio-economic and cultural development of their host communities.

However, married female corps members are usually given some concessions, as they may be posted to areas that provide suitable accommodation for couples. This is to enable them to stay close to their husbands and families during their service year.

To enjoy this privilege, they are required to present their marriage certificate as evidence of their marital status during the online registration process.

Church marriage certificate and is it acceptable by NYSC?

A church marriage certificate is a document that certifies that a couple has been wedded in a church according to the rites and customs of their religious denomination. It is usually issued by the officiating minister or priest of the church where the wedding took place.

However, not all church marriage certificates are acceptable by NYSC. According to some sources, NYSC prefers marriage certificates that are issued by government-recognized institutions, such as the Federal Marriage Registry or the State High Court. These certificates are considered more authentic and legal than those issued by churches.

Therefore, if you have a church marriage certificate, you may need to verify if it is recognized and registered by the government. You can do this by checking if it has a serial number, a stamp, and a signature of the issuing authority. You can also contact your church or the relevant government agency to confirm if your certificate is valid and acceptable.

If your church marriage certificate is not recognized or registered by the government, you may need to obtain another one from the Federal Marriage Registry or the State High Court. This may involve some additional costs and procedures, such as filling an application form, paying a fee, taking an oath, and presenting some documents, such as your birth certificate, identity card, passport photograph, and affidavit of change of name (if applicable).

Alternatively, you can use an affidavit of marriage as a substitute for your marriage certificate. An affidavit of marriage is a sworn statement that attests to the fact that you are legally married to your spouse. You can get it from any court of law or a notary public.

However, you should note that an affidavit of marriage may not be as reliable or acceptable as a marriage certificate, especially if it is not accompanied by other supporting documents.

Required documents Married Women Will Upload on NYSC Portal

Apart from your marriage certificate or affidavit of marriage, you also need to upload some other documents on the NYSC portal as a married female prospective corps member (PCM). These include:

• Evidence of state of residence of your husband. This can be his identity card, driving license, voter’s card, or utility bill.
• Letter from your husband’s employer or any other proof of his occupation.
• Newspaper publication of change of name from Miss to Mrs (if applicable).

You can upload these documents by following these steps:

• Login to your NYSC portal using your login details and leave the window open.
• Open a new window within the same browser and copy and paste this link: https://portal.nysc.org.ng/nysc3/
• Head straight to the documents that you want to upload and click on edit then upload the correct documents.

Conclusion

In conclusion, you can use your church marriage certificate for NYSC if it is recognized and registered by the government. If not, you may need to obtain another one from the Federal Marriage Registry or the State High Court or use an affidavit of marriage instead. You also need to upload some other documents on the NYSC portal as a married female PCM to be posted to the state where your husband resides.