‘It Was A Pleasant Surprise’- NYSC Members Narrate Life-Changing Experiences During Service

Members of the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) currently serving in different parts of the country have described their experiences while chatting with THE WHISTLER.

The NYSC was established on the 22nd of May 1973 by General Yakubu Gowon as a way to unite and rebuild the country.

With recent reports of Corps members being kidnapped for ransom, killed or being involved in fatal accidents while travelling to the places of primary assignments, many have asked that the scheme be reformed or scrapped altogether.

THE WHISTLER spoke to some Corps Members currently participating in the compulsory exercise to share their experience and how it has shaped their views about their country.

Oluwatosin Adetiba, who is serving in Anambra State, said it took her almost two months after leaving the orientation camp to secure a fairly decent accommodation and settle down.

During this time, she had to stay in a hotel and pay from her personal money because she was not offered accommodation where she was posted to serve.

“After moving into the new place, I discovered that the electricity and water supply here are so unstable. Right now, we haven’t had light and water for the past two weeks,” she explained.

But outside the personal inconveniences, she said her Community Development Service (CDS) with the Women and Children Empowerment Group has enabled her see first-hand what women go through in some communities.

She said during her time sensitizing the women  and children in the community, her eyes were opened to the patriarchal culture in Nigerian.

She said,

“I’ll give you an example, where I work, I work as a teacher in a primary school, there’s a woman whose husband beats her severely simply because she gave birth to four girls. He sent her and the children out of the house, saying he couldn’t father four girls. He even married another wife and in the community it’s an abomination to marry another wife if your first wife is not dead.

“The man is allowed to have extra marital affairs but he cannot marry anyone else, however this particular man married another wife, saying he was done with the first marriage. He brought in the new wife after sending the first wife away, impregnated her, the whole situation was a mess. The Igwe even got involved but they said there is little they can do because according to them, they cannot dictate to a man.”

According to her, the system is unfair to women because there is no accountability.

She said the case was taken to court.

But going to court was more or less like begging the husband to take her back.  

“The case was more or less the authorities begging or persuading him to take her back. I know that marriage is not compulsory but shouldn’t he at least pay child support for the girls? Now the woman is struggling on little or no salary to take care of her and the children,” she lamented.

Miss Adetiba said she and the rest of group are still trying to sensitize the people in the community but she does not believe it will have any effect on them.

“We are trying to sensitize the people in the community but it just feels like nothing is going to change because this is what they’ve known all their lives,” she said.

Another Corp member, Oreoluwa Ojo, who is serving in Ilorin, Kwara State, said the scheme has allowed her to observe how beautiful and diverse Nigeria and her people are.

However,  she had also discovered that ethnicity is a huge problem in the country.

“In my experience, tribalism and religion keep us apart and backwards as well because I’ve noticed that people tend to favour other people of the same religion and culture as themselves. It’s such a rampant thing in this country and that’s why we’re not moving forward,” she said, bemoaning the situation.

She went on to say that positions of authority are almost never filled based on qualification, but rather based on tribalism or nepotism.

“In positions of authority, we don’t pick people who are qualified, we pick people we know. It’s a known  fact that most of the top positions in the country are held by one ethnic and religious group. I’m not saying you shouldn’t love your country man or your brother from the same state but the tribalism is putting us on the same spot. It’s stopping us from being objective and putting qualified people in these positions,” she said.

Pearl Takpatore, who is serving with the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) in Abuja, said her experience working with the regulatory body has been good so far.

She said one thing that surprised her was the fact that Nigerians are actually very serious and committed to registering their products with NAFDAC.

“One thing I’ve noticed is that people are actually willing to come and register their products with NAFDAC.

“I found out that even during the pandemic, NAFDAC moved a lot of their operation online because of the number of people that were still trying to get their products registered. They were also conducting inspection online,” she said.

According to her, she had thought NAFDAC registration, like other government procedures, would be circumvented by use of money or connections.

“I thought people just used to call someone they knew or pay someone to get it done, but working here, I’ve seen that people actually follow due process to get their products registered.

“It was a pleasant surprise, because the process to get your products registered with NAFDAC is a long and tedious one. So, to see people actually applying to do it the right way was very encouraging” she said.

Meanwhile, Soji Odus Bolaji, who is serving in Lagos, said his experience with the NYSC has been a positive one. He said he has met a lot of new people, some of whom have become great friends.

Bolaji said his time with the Scheme has afforded him the avenue to give to the less privileged, with his CDS group– Gender and Charity– and also to speak to children on important issues.

“The NYSC allows us to provide for the less privileged and give lectures to students about some societal issues that they do not get much awareness about in their respective schools,” he said.

Joy Adenuga, serving in Abuja, said the NYSC has broadened her horizons and exposed her to environments and people that she would not normally have crossed paths with.

“I’m so much more exposed now, my Service year has given me the opportunity to visit orphanages with my CDS group, and we go to schools in rural areas to teach and speak to them too.

So, that has kind of opened my horizon and exposed me to people and environments that I’m not used to normally,” she said, adding she also found out  how hardworking and resilient Nigerians are.

She however said she has also met a lot of talented young people with innovative ideas which they sadly cannot develop because of lack of funds. 

She said, “During my CDS, I’ve come in contact with at least 2 young people who are into technology. Like technology advancement basically, but who cannot take their projects and ideas forward because of lack of funds.

“If only they had the opportunity and funds to develop those ideas, I think Nigeria as a whole would actually could benefit from them. I’m sure that if I was someone in the tech field and could actually break down some of the ideas I’ve heard, they would show serious potential. But the country doesn’t focus on the youths so that’s one of the very negative aspects I’ve noticed a lot,” she said.

Another Corps member, who requested not to be named, said he hasn’t really had any noteworthy experience during his service year.

The Corps member, who is serving in Abuja, said Nigerians are displeased with their living standards.

“My time in the NYSC has shown me that Nigeria needs a lot of help and its citizens are tired and also need help. There’s just a general sense of resignation among the people.

“And the level of poverty and unfavourable circumstances that citizens live in, even in Abuja, is very sad. Unfavourable circumstances like bad roads, poor water and light supply and poor quality of education,” he said.