What Next After NYSC?

Thinking of this, I stumbled across a post on Nairaland and I felt I should share it to my blog readers.  Happy Reading.

It is definitely a day filled with joy, laughter, and excitement. It is a day filled with thousands of “congratulations”. It is a day when thousands of youths will enter a new phase of their life.
It is a day thousands of Nigerian graduates are passing out after completing their one year compulsory service to the nation. It is the day that marks the ritual ‘Passing out Parade’ (POP).
It is the 6th day of June 2013; it is a beautiful day.


June 2012, thousands of Nigerian graduates were received at their respective camps across the country amidst anxiety, smiles, hopes, and excitement. They stayed for 2 weeks in these camps, and were later sent to their Places of Primary Assignment (PPA).

It is generally called “National Youth Service Corps”, a scheme created to promote peace and inter-relation amongst tribes, cultures and regions in Nigeria.

But I call it the National Year of Self Consciousness. It is true that the generally accepted NYSC was created to promote peace, but I believe it is also a time for the graduate to plan his life after school.

The NYSC service year is filled with lots of fun and adventure, and many get carried away by these. They get carried away by the very pretty ladies; the cool handsome guys; the freedom and fun. They fail to realise that NYSC is just a very tiny phase of their life that will pass just like the 4, 5 or 6 years in the university passed away.

They fail to think on their lives outside service- they fail to provide answer to the question, “what next after service?” Only a few are able to think, ponder and plan a life after NYSC.
The many who fail to utilize this period of Self consciousness, come to this realization weeks before their POP. They come face-to-face with the very bold question ‘what next’ Then the fear of uncertainty steps in. Their anxiety and fear increases as each day leads closer to the POP. Then the POP eventually comes!

They are then released into the labour market without plans and strategy. And since our education system is built to produce job seekers, they join the already overcrowded unemployment queue. Frustration and possibly depression may set in if not checked.

The fact remains that the Nigerian labour or “favour market” as some graduates call it, can hardly accommodate ten percent of the products that leave the school system every year. It is also true that millions of graduates are roaming the streets jobless, and the government cannot employ everyone. This is very unfortunate and disturbing for us graduates. But there is a solution!!!

The solution lies within us graduates and within the economy of Nigeria. We’ve got to look deep on our inside and discover or re-discover ourselves, because sometimes what we studied in school is different from what we are wired to do…our passion, talents, potentials and strengths. The solution lies in building a career around our passion, talents and potentials. You could package your talent and sell it, or start a business.

This solution is actually not for everyone; some people are wired to come on board the ship after it has been built by the entrepreneurs…not everyone is a starter. But many have what it takes to build talents and businesses- many are entrepreneurial. It is these set of people that this solution is meant for. You may be wondering if it is possible for you to build your own talent as a career or start a business. The truth is it is tough but very possible.

Every day a reasonable number of youths that are not graduates try their hands in things like music, comedy, movies, photography, trading, merchandising, etc. You should leverage on your schooling experience. A graduate of Physics who decides to go into photography will do better than a street photographer. A chemistry graduate who decides to go into soap production will do far better than a road side soap maker.

All he needs do is apply his knowledge of Saponification and other chemistry, gain some street smarts and get people to market the product.

Opportunities abound in Nigeria! No doubt, it is tough to make it in Nigeria, but it is very achievable. It is in this very country that MTN generated revenue of about $5 billion dollars in just one year. From where did the money come from? Nigerians of course! Zenith bank declared a profit after tax (PAT) of 100 billion Naira for 2012; this country produced AY Comedian, Basket Mouth, Ali Baba, Tuface, Psquare, D’banj, Genevieve, Jim Iyke, Wiz Kid, Jason Njoku, Linda Ikeji, Elo Umeh, etc.

This very country produced the richest black man on the surface of God’s green earth- Aliko Dangote; Nigeria produced one of the fastest growing telecom companies in the world, Globacom, and a business guru- Mike Adenuga. The opportunities are there, just open your eyes and see them. You can do it…you can be the next big name in entertainment, Literature, business, etc.

As Glo puts it, “Where ever you are, whoever you are, whatever you do, whatever your idea, if you believe in yourself there are no limits to what you can achieve”. This is my best advert ever.

One thing I know for sure is that Nigeria is a nation of consumers; virtually anything sells in Nigeria. There is a ready market for your product. The population alone is an opportunity for entrepreneurship to thrive. Your duty as a graduate today is to look for what to sell to this huge consumer population.

I join thousands of Nigerians today to say a big “congratulations” to the corps members passing out today. I say welcome to a new phase of your life! To those who have been able to plan and strategize their lives I say well-done. To those who are yet to proffer an answer to the question ‘what next’, I say it is not late.

What you need to do is take out time after today to really think and come up with a plan and strategy for your life. To all outgoing corps members today I say “Have a plan and Strategy, and work at it. Once again, Congratulations…


-Donald N.Yusuf