The Nigerian National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) is a compulsory program that every graduate in Nigeria is mandated to complete. It is a year-long scheme that plays a critical role in the country’s civil and public service sectors. Graduates are required to provide proof of participation in the NYSC to secure employment in many sectors, especially in the government. However, the program has sparked widespread discontent among Nigerian youths, as revealed in the following personal account from a deeply frustrated NYSC member.
From the outset, NYSC participation demands a significant financial commitment. Graduates, known as corps members, are expected to bear the cost of the registration process and often face the burden of traveling long distances to areas they are assigned, with no financial assistance. “You’re going to spend a lot of money,” the speaker explains, adding that corps members are left to handle their transportation and accommodation expenses themselves. For many, this places an enormous strain on their limited finances.
Once assigned to their designated areas, corps members receive what is known as a “bicycle allowance” of ₦10,000. However, this amount is not paid in full but rather split into two installments. Corps members are first given ₦6,400, with the remaining amount disbursed only after completing the entire program. The speaker highlights the inadequacy of this amount: “I don’t know what distance in Nigeria you can cover with ₦6,400.” This meager sum is insufficient for transportation, especially in a country where rising fuel costs and inflation make commuting costly.
During the mandatory three-week orientation camp, corps members are sensitized about the scheme’s objectives. Originally established to foster national unity, cultural understanding, and inter-tribal marriages, NYSC officials stress the importance of building bridges across Nigeria’s diverse ethnic groups. Yet, in today’s interconnected world, this justification for the NYSC appears outdated to many participants. “In 2024, everybody already knows a little bit about other cultures,” the speaker notes, suggesting that the scheme’s original purpose may no longer hold the relevance it once did.
One puzzling aspect of the NYSC program is the ₦400,000 incentive offered to corps members who meet, marry, and settle down with someone from a different ethnic group during their service year. While inter-tribal marriages are already commonplace in Nigeria today, one has to wonder why the NYSC includes this as a justification for sending young people on such an arduous journey. Should fostering marriages really be part of a national service program? This so-called incentive seems to trivialize the larger issues corps members face—such as poor accommodations, inadequate allowances, and unsafe postings—by suggesting that marriage could be a reward for enduring these hardships.
Moreover, in the current economic climate, what can two young people realistically achieve with ₦400,000? With the skyrocketing costs of rent, food, and transportation, this amount offers little to no financial security for a newly married couple. It falls far short of what’s needed to establish a stable foundation in Nigeria today, where inflation continues to erode purchasing power. Instead of focusing on these outdated and impractical incentives, the NYSC should be addressing the more pressing needs of its participants—such as safety, living conditions, and adequate compensation for their service.
Perhaps the most frustrating aspect for corps members is the monthly allowance, currently set at ₦33,000. “Are these people expecting us to live on ₦1,000 per day?” the speaker laments. In a country where basic living expenses have skyrocketed, this allowance does little to cover food, housing, and transportation costs, particularly in areas where corps members have no support systems. This dissatisfaction is heightened by the context of the End Bad Governance protests, which swept across Nigeria in August, 2024. One of the key promises the federal government made in response to the protests was an increased minimum wage, raising it from ₦30,000 to ₦70,000 as part of efforts to address widespread economic hardship and governance issues. This raised hopes for Nigerian workers, including NYSC corps members, who believed their allowance would also be adjusted accordingly.
In line with this, the NYSC leadership officially announced across various platforms, including their verified social media handles, that corps members’ monthly stipends would be increased to ₦77,000 to match the newly set minimum wage. This announcement generated optimism among participants, who had long endured financial strain while fulfilling their service obligations. However, this promise has remained unfulfilled. The increase never materialized, leaving corps members stuck with the ₦33,000 allowance. The government’s failure to deliver on this commitment has further deepened the disillusionment, reinforcing a sense that the government has once again lied to the Nigerian people. The promised financial relief remains elusive, even as inflation and living costs continue to soar, rendering the current allowance grossly inadequate for survival.
A major concern for corps members is their safety. In Nigeria, they are among the most endangered and targeted groups of young people, often caught in the crosshairs during crises. Over the years, Nigeria’s worsening insecurity has made corps members vulnerable, with frequent reports of kidnappings and killings in volatile regions. Corps members are not just victims of circumstance—they are deliberately targeted during crises as a way to send a message to the government. This was painfully evident during the religious crises and the aftermath of the 2015 elections, where corps members were singled out in violent attacks.
Despite these ongoing threats, the NYSC continues to send young people into high-risk areas, seemingly without regard for their safety. The program’s lack of sensitivity is further reflected in the poor accommodations provided. Corps members are often promised free housing at their Place of Primary Assignment (PPA), but the reality is far from adequate. “Nine times out of ten… uninhabitable,” says the speaker, describing dilapidated, unsafe living conditions that force many to use their limited allowances to secure private accommodations. These conditions exacerbate the already high risks corps members face, leaving them feeling abandoned by the very system meant to protect them.
The speaker’s frustration is unmistakable as they reflect on the lack of tangible benefits from the NYSC program. From poorly maintained accommodations to grossly inadequate allowances, the scheme has left many participants questioning its very purpose. The program seems to exploit Nigerian youth, offering what the speaker calls “free labor” with little to no meaningful returns. Instead of empowering young people, it subjects them to difficult and often dangerous conditions, with little regard for their well-being.
In light of these grievances, it is clear that the NYSC, originally conceived as a tool for national unity, has outlived its usefulness in its current form. The scheme’s structure, characterized by inadequate allowances, unsafe postings, and dilapidated living conditions, fails to serve the youth it was designed to uplift. If the NYSC cannot offer a more equitable and fair system—one that provides proper compensation, guarantees safety, and ensures decent living standards—then it must be unconditionally scrapped. The Nigerian youth deserve better than a system that does “nothing but stress” those it claims to serve. Without significant reforms, the program risks becoming a relic of the past, no longer fit for the realities of today’s Nigeria.