Hmmmm here we go! LOL- that’s literally how I feel as I put pen to paper. Well, technically I’m typing this on my phone, but you get my vibe- I’m old school at heart. I honestly can’t tell you that I know exactly what awaits in the next few syllables, but let’s trust the process and take this journey together.
This is an attempt- a long awaited attempt- to finish my NYSC chronicles and tell some of the stories that remain untold- in my head and in my phone drafts more so. As this happened almost 7 years ago (time flies sha!), I definitely don’t remember everything with my limited human mind, but hopefully we can maximise the little and leverage the benefit of hindsight. it’s interesting that when I think back at my service year, I remember it fondly- with good memories and great people, but reading through some old notes and previous posts, I know there were actually some crazy days, but I’m thankful that “worries of then are nothing but matters now forgotten”.
Anyhoo, let’s get to it!
My last post stopped at my PPA (Place of Primary Assignment), and how I basically ended up working across 2 organisations. I worked some days at the state secretariat, went for CDS once a week, and then worked other days at my other role. It’s been 7 years and I’m thankful to still have a great relationship with my boss (not like he can get rid of me that easily anyway 😋).
Looking back, I generally enjoyed NYSC because of the variety it offered and because I got to do something I enjoyed. Besides my PPA shenanigans, NYSC was memorable for me because of a few other things which I’ve highlighted below and which I hope also serves as pointers for those starting NYSC soon.
🟢🟠 Getting involved right from camp: Some people paint camp to be the most challenging aspect of NYSC, and I honestly beg to differ. Yes, waking up early to shouts and bells for man o’war drills, following rigid schedules and having limited resources at your disposal can be annoying, but at least, its predictable and you have an idea of what to expect. Life after camp however, dot dot dot. Personally, I’d say camp can be the most exiting part of NYSC and so my first advice would be to get involved right from the start! I may be biased because I’m a ‘get involved/activity’ kind of person naturally, but camp was memorable for me because of the other things I got to do. I joined the drama group in my platoon and got involved with a group called ENGINE which stands for Educating Nigerian Girls in New Enterprises which gives an idea into what the group was about. I was on the camp radio for a show once or twice and also took up skills training which was available on camp. Obviously, there’s lots of other groups to join like camp fellowship, camp band, red cross, volleyball etc based on interest. It honestly just makes camp more memorable, and you get to meet different sets of people all through! Also, a bonus point is that you get to build relationships with camp staff who end up being people that you relate with through your NYSC year. Trust me, having an NYSC official in your corner is a huge plus (almost a necessity) through your service year- so prioritise those relationships!
🟢🟠 Taking part in CDS: CDS stands for Community Development Service, and is basically your opportunity to do voluntary work/community service across various areas- hopefully one that you’re passionate about e.g., education, gender, heath, drama etc. I can’t remember specifically how you get put in your CDS, but I do know that you can influence what CDS you’re given by the activities you take up during camp. Corpers that were part of red cross on camp got put in the red cross CDS, those that were part of the band got put into a related CDS, and so on, but if you weren’t really active on camp or involved with any particular area, then you’ll most likely be randomly placed in any CDS. I was initially placed in the gender CDS due to my involvement with ENGINE as I mentioned earlier, but a group of us ended up championing for this to be a new CDS on its own which eventually happened and so at that point I switched and was a part of the ENGINE CDS (the best CDS group if I say so myself 😊)– our focus was on education, working with schools within the state, mentoring secondary school girls, and I absolutely loved it. Like many other things in life, your CDS is what you make of it and can be as impactful or random as you care for it to be. My CDS played a huge role in other programs I got involved with after service year and also fuelled my passion for education which I’m still very much passionate about. Logistics wise, CDS happens once a week and is usually also the day you wear your NYSC uniform; Khaki pants and white top.
🟢🟠 Taking advantage of extra-curricular opportunities: During NYSC, you may think you don’t have time, but really and truly, you do- more time than you’ll have in the coming few years, ceteris paribus, so take advantage of it. Learn stuff! Take up a skill! Do trainings and professional courses that are available to you. As a corper, many things are available to you at very subsidised rates- either by the government or just by people knowing you’re a corper. SAED- Skills Acquisition & Entrepreneurship Department, as the name tells, is a unit in NYSC that makes skills and vocational trainings available to corpers at very very subsided rates- rates that you probably will not be able to get ever again- no cap. I remember taking this up and learning to make bags and shoes- can’t recall how much I paid, but this actually became a mini source of income for me during NYSC and shortly after also. I also ended up teaching bag making to secondary school students in my spare time which was lots of fun. I also took up a makeup class for 5k which was highly subsided back then and helped me do small shakara now and then LOL. A number of project management courses, HSE certifications etc were also available. NYSC is a great time for you to explore different interests, hobbies, business ideas and even career paths, so yeah, make the most of it!
🟢🟠 Mingling and making friends: Lastly, make friends! The friends you make from camp, CDS and PPA end up being some of the people you’ll relate with the most through your service year and hopefully after. You’re all relatively in the same boat, so mingle, interact, talk and just be yourself. Social life is important and honestly cannot be underestimated. Whether extroverted, introverted, or in-between like some of us, it’s important to find your people.
I’ve obviously just highlighted the positives by sharing what made NYSC memorable for me, it goes without saying that there were obviously downsides too, but that’s a story for another day (not making promises, but hopefully that doesn’t take another 7 years…). I asked some friends to share a bit of their NYSC experience and they graciously did, so check it out here!
I know NYSC is still compulsory, and you may not have wanted to go, especially if you didn’t get your state of choice or the PPA of your dreams, but you’re here now and life must go on. So, what’s my advice? Stay safe, enjoy it while it lasts and make the most of it all!
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