My NYSC Story Part 2... by D

Finally, here's the next part of D's story. He's currently serving with 2012 Batch C in Lagos. In the first part of his story, he had just received his posting letter to his Place of Primary Assignment - a school 5 minutes away from his house, so this should be easy, right? WRONG!

Your Local Government Office and Inspector

Hiya!

So I'm writing up this post because while I mentioned my LGI and going to the LG office on several occasions, I don't think I adequately described this aspect of NYSC. So for those new corps members who are going to camp next week, put this down in your mental jotter.

Local Government Office

When a corps member leaves the orientation camp, he/she is given a posting letter to a Place of Primary Assignment (PPA). If the corper's accepted by the organization, then the Local Government where the company is located, absorbs the corper. Basically, this is your first port of call for anything official. Some of the things you do here are:

• Register after you've been accepted by your PPA
• Sign up for Community Development Service (CDS)
• Attend monthly General CDS - I don't believe this is done in every state. However in Lagos, all corps members are given one day in the last week of every month to come to their LG offices. The LGI addresses the corpers on necessary information and signs off on their CD cards to acknowledge that they attended General CD
• Complete Monthly Clearance - Usually completed within the first week of each month, this is where corps members submit a letter from their employer stating that they came to work the previous month and completed their duties. This is required monthly in order to get the monthly NYSC allowance.
• Complete Final Clearance - This is ideally the last time you'll go to the LG office (that is if you don't have any issues). This time your employer writes a letter stating that you have completed your service year with them, and have no outstanding responsibilities.
• Bring complaints and write applications for various things - If you notice an allowance payment's missing, if you want to travel, if you want to go on leave (remember you're allowed 7 days through the year), if you want to do a special CDS project, if you're having issues with your PPA, etc

Local Government Inspector

Your LGI is the beginning and end of your NYSC service year. Keep him/her happy, make your life easy. Get them mad, welcome to 11 months of stress! Your LGI is your mother, father, brother, sister, aunty, uncle, cousin, best friend, and more during this time. Every official letter/application you write goes to your LGI first, before trickling up the ladder to your Zonal Inspector and then State Coordinator.

My LGI was pretty cool. While a lot of people thought he was mean, the truth of the matter was that he was simply stern. If you behaved properly, then he was nice to you. Flout the rules unnecessarily, and he would be a pain in your behind! It's a good thing that I had a good rapport with him, because when I truly needed something (hehe, I broke a rule), he was there to help out.

Ok, I think this is a pretty accurate description and covers what any corps member should know about their LG office and LGI. I dunno why we abbreviate LGI and not LGO :-S

Ah well, have a pretty week everybody and don't forget to VOTE for this blog as TUTORIAL BLOG OF THE YEAR on Nigerian Blog Awards.

Hugs to ya,
Berry.

Final Clearance Drama!

Hey y'all,

So, two weeks from today, I will be officially done with NYSC! Mehn, does time fly by or what? Actually, it's felt like a really long year, although I remember my first foray into this NYSC service year. I thank God cos it's almost over - and also for helping me get through yesterday! What happened yesterday, you ask... I'll tell you - FINAL CLEARANCE!

Ok, so I've briefly mentioned Monthly Clearance before (Now That Camp Is Over) - where you submit a letter from your PPA (employer) to your LGI (Local Government Inspector) saying that you worked the previous month...

*side note* maybe before I'm done, I can write a mini NYSC dictionary post explaining what everything is, including acronyms? And another post on 'Introducing Your LGI Office.' *end side note*

Anyways, the month of passing out, you have to submit a Final Clearance letter from your employer, stating that you worked through your service year satisfactorily, don't owe them anything, and that you will now be discharged and handed over back to NYSC. In addition to the letter, you have to submit your cleared CDS card - this is signed by your CD leader or LGI, depending on what CD you joined, and they'll sign off that you completed your CD expectations. Now, since I was in a special CD group, I had to get mine cleared in the NYSC Secretariat in Surulere. This is where the drama happened.

I submitted my card to the head of JASA, under which a lot of special CD groups operate, and she said to get a note from another official saying that he'd looked over my card and it was good to go. This official does most of the signing when we come to CD every week. So I give him the card to look over and he says there's something wrong - that 2 of the signatures on the card are forged, so he can't clear me! WHA THE WHA WHA?!?!?! :-O I'm like "Dude, I haven't forged nothing. I've been coming consistently, every single week. Done all the work required. Submitted my card to you or my CD instructor for signing. I ain't never touched that card to write anything!" And so the back and forth ensued. He actually even wrote a note clearing all the other Batch C corpers, and refused to write my state code to clear me. See me see wahala! The signatures he was talking about were from January, during the strike over the fuel subsidy - at which point, no CDs were even being held! During that period, we were told to submit our cards to our CD instructors so that they could validate them. Which leads me to believe that my CD instructor forged this guy's signature.

Anyways, said CD instructor was with me at the time, trying to argue with the guy on my behalf. He joked with him, pleaded with him, even went so far as lying. Apparently, some 2011 Batch B corps members had forged his signature on their cards, and were reprimanded. So my CD instructor said that my card was among those that had been compromised at that time, and since those were already settled, then the guy should clear me. Now, most people would allow that lie to be told, but I protested. I said "Mr CD Instructor, I know you're lying, trying to get this guy to clear my card, but I can't stand here and let him question my character and integrity. I have done NOTHING wrong, so please don't lie on my behalf." The other Batch C corps members told me to keep quiet and just beg the guy, and I completely refused to! Why should I beg when I did nothing wrong? Begging is as good as admitting that I forged his signature and I did nothing of the sort, so I was willing to stay and argue with him until the office closed! And anyways, he'd asked my CD instructor for my phone number at some point, and was rebuffed, so I think this was his way of getting back at me. *rolling eyes*

Long story short, I stood my ground, and my card got cleared eventually. If I see that ninny anywhere else in my life, Imma give him a real talking to! Next step, going to my NYSC local government office to complete my final clearance. I got there at 1:30pm and expected to be there until 4, maybe 5pm - it's best to mentally prepare yourself for these things so that you don't get aggravated or frustrated. I'd like to say it was a seamless process, but it really wasn't. First of all, we've got a new LGI, and this was her first time of handling us. As soon as I got there, she left to have lunch for about 45 minutes. During that time, I got the necessary documents together, made photocopies, and paid for some bogus items (NYSC foundation, Eko Corper magazine, and somn else - I dunno what it was). We had to pay for those things, or else we wouldn't get the clearance done. From 2:30 to 4:00pm, we got in line, were told to sit down, lined up sitting down, lined up standing up, lined up sitting down again, lined up standing up, and finally lined up standing according to gender. Of course this whole time, people are fighting, shoving, skipping lines, and just being general nuisances. But thank the Lord, I got everything I needed DONE!

GOODBYE NYSC SECRETARIAT, GOODBYE CD, GOODBYE LAGOS ISLAND LOCAL GOVERNMENT OFFICE, GOODBYE GENERAL CD!

The next things to worry about are going back to camp for the Job Awareness seminar (rolls eyes), Passing Out Parade rehearsals (more rolling eyes), and finally the Passing Out Parade, where I pick up my certificate! I'm not sure about going to camp before the Passing Out Parade. On one hand, I heard they take attendance and they're beginning to be really strict... on the other hand, 2 Batch B corps members I know skipped everything and still got their certificates. We'll see. I'm a goody-two shoes, so I'll at least check out the seminar and one rehearsal. Jesus, just help the next 2 weeks go by quickly.

Whew! Longer post than I thought. Gotta get to work. Have a berry pretty day ladies and gentlemen :)

Berry

The light at the end of the tunnel...

Hiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii!

So, as at this moment, my service year will be over in approximately 3 weeks! THREEEEE WEEKS! NYSC Lagos Secretariat sent out a letter to corps members - well, it's not like they mailed it to us, but I saw a status message on someone's BBM and got it sent to me. October 18th, 2012 is the day it'll all be over for me and I CANNOT WAIT!

I'll post the letter here, so you have an idea what the last couple of weeks are like for corps members. We're supposed to get our last 2-3 weeks off from our primary assignment (employers), so that we can take part in the various activities lined up for the end of our service year.

• Final clearance - This is supposed to be a VERY tedious process. Some 2011 Batch B corpers had to report to their LGs on a Saturday and Sunday because their LGIs didn't complete the final clearance in the time allotted. Meanwhile, I have to ask - how does it make any sense to appoint 1-3 officials to cover 600+ corpers in 2 days? Especially when more than half of those officials are lazy and refuse to work for more than 3 hours per day! NYSC, you need a complete overhaul - I'm still saying it.
  
  Anyways, in this process, we're supposed to collect our final clearance letters from our employers stating that we completed our duties satisfactorily. In addition, we have to present our CD cards showing that we attended all our CDs (I think we're allowed 1 to 3 absences).
  
  And finally, they check to see that all our monthly clearance letters are complete and stashed in our folders.
• Job Creation and Awareness seminars - Erm, are they joking?
• Passing Out Parade rehearsals - Yeah, they're most definitely joking!
• Passing Out and collection of NYSC certificates - I imagine there's a parade, with marching, and a whole bunch of corpers milling around anxiously, waiting to pick up their certificates and saying GOODBYE FOREVER!

As far as the 2-3 weeks off from our employers, at my office some supervisors generously gave breaks to their corpers throughout the year, so those corps members will have to finish out the month. I'm taking that option cos I can't sit at my uncle/aunt's house doing nothing, especially if there's no electricity. And I guess at the end of October, it'll be time to pack my bags and move them back to PH while I plot my next move.

Actually, I'm leaning more towards going back to Atlanta at this point, but we'll see.

Gotta run!
Have a pretty day with lots of berry thoughts.

Ta-na-na-na-na! Inspector NYSC, not Gadget

Yo yo!

Soooooooooo, guess what?!?!? My local government inspector's office staff came by where I'm doing my primary assignment for INSPECTION! Since I started serving, the LGI (Local Government Inspector) has stated that there would be routine/unexpected visits to our offices, to ensure that each corper was actively serving. Now, I'm passing out in a few weeks and nobody ever showed up, so these "threats" have generally been construed as idle...

Imagine my shock when the corper in our HR department sent a BBM letting me know that the NYSC officials were in the office and we all had to come and sign that we were present :-O. Like, FOR REALLY REAL? I don't think they did this for earlier batches at work, so it's seeming like NYSC's beginning to take things more seriously. Seriously enough that my LGI called my dad's phone, because I missed an activity, and my dad's noted as my emergency contact person (as for what I missed and why, it's a loooooooooooooong story that I can't get into on this blog - sawry).

Hmm! I just need the next 3 weeks to go by quietly and quickly, so I can get my certificate and be outta this mug.

*cough* On a non-NYSC note, I have a terrible sore throat and cold - IT SUCKS!!! But I had some chicken pepper soup this evening to help with it, so YAY me!

Kisses from Berry!

So I passed out from NYSC - Miss B's post-NYSC interview

Hi BooBerries (hehe, I totally just came up with that, and mefinks I loike it uber-much!)

So, I hope y'all enjoyed Mimikins' interview last week. I found her interview to be interesting, not really critical of NYSC, and it had a more positive slant than I was expecting.

Well, I've got another interview today and I was SHOCKED to read her responses. Miss B is a no-nonsense, feisty chick and she clearly made her feelings known! I'll post my disclaimer now, as opposed to the end of her interview:

Dear NYSC-Leaders-Who-Happen-Upon-This-Blog-By-Chance, kindly consider 

that anything negative in the following interview are NOT MY words. 

Please do not use them against me when it's my turn to pass out. 

Berry loves you more than cake and ice cream... 

Ok, that last bit is a BIG LIE but you catch my drift :)

And now, my friend's interview...

1. State your aje-butter credentials, according to Berry's definition (See my definition here: 
   
   I'm Miss B (If you know her, then that response actually says it all, lol)
   
   
2. How would you summarize your NYSC experience from start to finish?
   
   My NYSC experience was traumatic to say the least. To me, NYSC is a scam and the officials go on ridiculous power trips with the aim of dehumanizing and traumatizing you. I learnt the true meaning of wickedness during this experience. The work aspect however, was great, I learnt a lot, met a lot of great people and I can honestly say the company I work for is has a pretty good company structure and thus, makes work a little easier. 
   
3. What, if anything, did you learn during your NYSC year - personally and/or career-wise?
   
   Personally, NYSC is a joke and education is our biggest problem in this country. Careerwise- working in Nigeria is special and you need an extra dose of patience and a high tolerance for bs.
   
4. What are your personal views on the current relevance of NYSC in Nigeria?
   
   There is no relevance period! The initial benefits of NYSC has since been lost and the system needs a total overhaul. It's simply a money making, power grabbing venture for the officials and the government.
   
5. Why did you decide to go through NYSC?
   
   I just wanted to get it out the way and I was going through career/major life changes so I thought, why not bite the bullet now.
   
6. What was your experience like in camp? Favorite/worst memories?
   
   LMAO. Err camp...I didn't stay in camp for medical reasons. I remember being sooo excited to go to camp but as soon as I stepped foot in the gate on my very first day, umm yea all that excitement stayed in the car. Worst memory...going to the ladies and almost puking from the nastiness that was the bathroom. Getting into my 'room' and realizing that there were 38 people in a room with a maximum capacity of 16 with no electricity and only 2 windows. The constant pushing and touching...people do not respect personal space and this was a big issue for me. Best memory...none....actually, walking out the gate after my exeat form was signed was pretty good.
   
7. What would you change about the NYSC program?
   
   Everything! For one, make everything computerized...its the 21st century! Eliminate the need for weekly/monthly cd. Restructure the pay (allowee), negotiate with companies for better pay for corpers, improve/the quality of the uniforms. Utilize the massive man/brain power of the corpers to actually make a difference in the country. For instance, corpers are no longer being posted to banks, oil companies and such, but does it make sense to send someone who barely graduated with a 3rd class to be a school teacher? As a country, we need to invest in alternative means of farming, electricity, fuels,these are projects you can assign to corpers and make it competitive so that at the end of the year, corpers can make presentations/ suggestions based on the R&D they've done their whole service year. The best and most feasible solution will have the opportunity to implement their findings and actually make a change. Obviously this is an over simplified example but it can be done.
   
8. What CD group did you join, and was the experience worthwhile?
   
   Charity (special CD). It was totally worth it. Charity visits/volunteer is something that's dear to my heart and I already do in my spare time, however, with NYSC, its just something to be done. There is no continuity or genuine interest because we were forced to do it.
   
9. Do you have any advice for incoming aje-butter corpers?
   
   Expect the worst! Not trying to scare you but trust me, when u expect the worst/nothing at all, you're not disappointed. Logic and common sense don't work here. Don't argue because you end up looking crazy. Smile a lot...it will keep you sane.
   
10. What are your plans post-NYSC?
    
    VACAY! VACATIONNNNN!!!!!
    
11. Bonus question: What are you going to do with your NYSC uniform/kit?
    
    I plan to have a burning/burial ceremony. Seriously, my uniform has been ripped and torn since the first day I got it so it's in the garbage. I'm only keeping my orange boots...I kinda like em.

And there we have it! I must say I thoroughly enjoyed getting her interview responses. And while anyone can look at them as being negative responses, I actually do think that there's some wisdom behind them. I don't know if NYSC as a whole tries to get feedback from ex-corpers, but it's worth looking into. The whole idea is to see what's working and what needs to be changed. There's so much that can be done through NYSC but are the leaders willing to put in the necessary resources? I believe that through NYSC, Nigeria can effect some positive change but there needs to be a plan - a sustainable one that will not die when a new head comes into position. 

Sometimes I wish I could be a consultant for NYSC. Go into the different secretariats, camps, and local government offices to see the current structure and recommend necessary changes. I'm going to post about my general cd next week (video included) and you'll see how riotous it gets...

Toodles BooBerries!

So I passed out from NYSC - Mimikins' Interview

Hey y'all,

Congratulations to all the 2011 Batch B Corps Members who successfully passed out from NYSC on Thursday, June 14th! I wish you all well and trying hard not to be jealous of you. I was supposed to be in your batch but somehow convinced myself to postpone serving - #AlwaysListenToYourMummyWhenSheSaysToServeWith2011BatchB.

Anyways, like the last time, I've interviewed someone near and dear to me on her NYSC experience. Mimikins, as I fondly call her, served in Abuja and this is what she had to say...

1. State your aje-butter credentials, according to Berry's definition. (See my definition here: Aje-Butter Definition)
   I was born and bred in London up until I was 23. Would say I came from a comfortable home, no complaints. We didn't have maids or cooks, etc because we don't do such in London, but I am your full aje-butter child... Well I was :-)
   
   
2. How would you summarize your NYSC experience from start to finish?
   It was a smooth but bumpy ride. Don't regret it but wouldn't want to repeat it.
   
   
3. What, if anything, did you learn during your NYSC year? Personally and/or career-wise?
   Career-wise, I learnt that I NEVER EVER want to become a civil servant! Gosh! They all look so miserable, that can't be me! Personally, I learnt how to adapt to the 'Nigerian way' of life, which is totally different to the UK. And I think I adapted quite well :-)
   
   
4. What are your personal views on the current relevance of NYSC in Nigeria?
   I may get attacked for this, but I think NYSC is good for foreign-trained students, particularly those who have spent most of their life outside Nigeria. It's a totally different system and we must learn how to adapt because whether we like it or not, this is our country! And NYSC forces you to adapt. Aside that, I don't see the relevance of NYSC anymore.
   
   
5. Why did you decide to go through NYSC?
   I didn't decide to go through NYSC by choice. Came to visit my mum one christmas and she somehow convinced me to stay back in Nigeria and 'serve my country,' lol.
   
   
6. What was your experience like in camp? Favorite/worst memories?
   I absolutely loved camp!!! Not for the drills or anything because I didn't do any of that. But for the fun times with friends, the friends I made there. Mammy market at night made it that more exciting too, all those drunken moments, lol. My worst memories would probably be the cold water showers, before I discovered the woman that boils hot water, and of course, the toilet situation...
   
   
7. What would you change about the NYSC program?
   Increase the nysc allowance according to where you're posted to. And change the attitude of those bitchy NYSC officials - we didn't force you to take the job.
   
   
8. What CD group did you join, and was the experience worthwhile?
   I was made to join the Consumer Protection Council CDS group, and no, it wasn't worthwhile at all.
   
   
9. Do you have any advice for incoming aje-butter corpers?
   I'll advice my fellow aje-butters coming to serve to learn humility. I was disgusted at the attitudes of some of the foreign-trained students - acting as if they were better than people who schooled in Nigeria, disrespecting their elders, etc. Humility is worldwide, and should be practiced everywhere you go. Another piece of advice - make sure you're fully protected against malaria, and don't drink water you're not sure of. Depending on how long the soon-to-be corper has been out of the country, their body may not be used to the environment again, so protect yourself.
   
   
10. What are your plans post-NYSC?
    Still undecided whether to stay in Nigeria or go back to London for a bit. Time will tell I guess.
    
    
11. Bonus question: What are you going to do with your NYSC uniform/kit?
    Was thinking of burning my corper uniform, but may give it to someone in my village :-)
    
    
    

And there we have it! Congrats again Mimikins!!! I wish you all the best as you move forward with your life.

*Note* I was not there by that time, regarding her comment about bitchy NYSC officials o. I LOVE ALL NYSC officials, and I'm not saying that only because I don't want to be caught and given unnecessary drama when it's my turn to pass out in October *insert BB straight face smiley*

Hugs n kisses,
Berry.

Community Development Service aka Let's Pretend We're Doing Something Worthwhile

Hey there prettylicious friends! I hope we're all fine, dandy and having a pretty day. In my last post I was frustrated and venting - so much so that my dad was concerned enough to ask if I want to leave Nigeria. Well, my answer to that was that I have to finish what I started. Nobody held a gun to my head or promised me an unlimited amount of cake and ice cream (I soooooooo wish). This was completely my decision and I will see it through, no matter how frustrated I get. If nothing else, the time's slowly but surely ticking away... 5 months gone already! Yay me!!!!

Soooooo, today I shall be discussing 'Community Development Service' or CD for short. The premise of CD is for the youth corps member to serve the community where he/she was posted to and positively impact the people around. there are 3 classes of CDS programs:

1. Individual - In this case, one or more corps members decide on a project to help the surrounding community. When I was in orientation camp, a corps member from an earlier batch had gotten donations of N1 million worth of medicine for use in the Lagos camp! Awesome, right? Except that I went to the camp clinic 2 days later and they mysteriously had run out of painkillers *insert bb straight face smiley* A friend and I had actually thought of projects to do as an individual cd, but, erm, see what had happened was...

2. Group CDS - in this category, nysc-led groups meet weekly for different projects. This is where you'll be placed randomly if you haven't chosen a special CD group already.  Can I just say that most of these are a total joke!?!?! 90% of the meetings are a bunch of corps members sitting around and waiting for their CD cards to be signed. Hey, Sanitation group, how about cleaning up the local government once a month, or raising funds to buy public waste baskets?  My friends in the Drama group were being asked for relationship advice last week. As in, that was part of their meeting... To be fair, some actually do stuff - I have a friend in the Education group that goes to visit a school regularly to talk to kids. I have yet to find out the essence of the Construction and Maintenance group.

3. Collaborative CDs aka Special CD groups - National and international agencies or businesses form partnerships with NYSC to carry out various projects or spread a particular message, eg Millenium Development Goals group meets up (supposedly) to discuss and partake (again supposedly) in activities that propel Nigeria towards the realization of said goals. these CD groups don't necessarily have to meet weekly - some meet just once a month.

Just because I see this post has come out longer than I expected, I'll tell you about my special CD in the next post.

I really wish NYSC would take this part of the program seriously, while ensuring corps members security and safety. I believe the corpers killed last year in the North were carrying out voter registration duties  with/for INEC. I'm not 100% sure whether they were there in Primary Assignment or Community Development capacity. In any case, not a lot of Nigerians in my perception are willing to do volunteer work - which is supposed to be the very essence of CD groups. This is the time to make a positive impact on the society and environment - or gain a skill for your personal development/entrepreneurship like me.


Anyways, will put up another post when I get home today. I'm at work right now - yes I'm still bored with nothing to do *rolls eyes*

See ya in a bit! Kiss kiss, hug hug.

Berry

The life of a corper at work...

Heyyy boos!

Been a little while, innit? For that, I must respectfully, humbly apologize from the berry bottom of my heart!!!

Can I just say that I CANNOT wait till my service year is over????? I am BORED outta my mind.

Granted, I didn't have high hopes or expectations when I started youth service. However, being with the company I was "so lucky" to get into, I thought this would be a good time to learn about a different industry than I'm used to. I thought I'd learn a bit, develop myself career-wise, and plant a foundation for future opportunities.

However, I go into the office and for the most part, I stare :-| I wish I was joking, but I'm not. I mean, there are days when I have stuff to do, but more often than not, I'm mentally counting the seconds until it's closing time.

One of the first things I did when I reported to my PPA (place of primary assignment), was tell my supervisor, "Hello, my name is Berry (not really) and I'm here to add value and learn. I have an MBA... I've been working for over 3 years. PLEASE make sure you give me real work to do - that's all I desire from this company. Thank you very much" And I meant it wholeheartedly.

But I've been disappointed. At this point, I've been at my PPA for 4 months, and I cannot tell you that I've learned anything substantial. Regretfully, I even feel ecstatic when they send me to deliver a document to a different department :( God, is this what I came back to this darn country for? Like I'm getting fed up here.

There are other corpers within the company who have real work to do... I envy them. However, there are some who are worse off than I am. They don't even have desks, so they just "float" around the office.

I'm thinking about switching departments. I thought I had a good strategy in asking my supervisor what I could help with every morning - but a 5-minute task only frustrates me more.

Some people have said that I should be happy since I'm essentially getting paid to do nothing. In fact, too many people have said it, and I just don't understand their logic. If I'm going to be doing nothing, I'd much rather do it in the house and forfeit the paycheck.

DEAR PPA, GIVE ME SUBSTANTIAL WORK TO DO EVERY DAY!!! USE ME!!! YES, I SAID UUUUUUUUUUUUUUUSSSSSSSSSEEEEEE MEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!!!!!!

Can you tell I'm frustrated? I need to leave this country :(

Place of Primary Assignment...

Hello lovelies!

I sincerely apologize for not updating in a little bit - I seem to apologize with every post lately. I'll tell you who to blame when I finally post what I really wanted to. But since I'm tired of waiting for my friend (using the word 'friend' loosely here until he gives me what I want), I'll go ahead and give a little more insight into NYSC. I realize that the 2012 Batch A corpers are getting ready for Orientation Camp starting next week, February 6th. I'll go over getting your Primary Assignment and Community Development Service sorted out, so you have the information before you start camp.

PPA - Place of Primary Assignment

This is the second phase of your NYSC year. After three weeks of orientation camp, corpers are supposed to spend the next 11 months gaining work experience at their respective places of primary assignment. Now, seeing as us aje-butters would rather not get stuck teaching or working in some random office, what you should do is

• Secure a couple of companies that will guarantee you a position if NYSC does post you there
• Get a letter from your company of choice stating your NYSC Call Up Number (not sure if your State Code is needed as well) and saying that they are looking for corpers and want someone with your educational background to serve with them
• Ensure that the position you're aiming for has something to do with your first degree - For whatever reason, NYSC officials say that what matters in posting you to a company is your first degree. They basically told me to shove my MBA where the sun don't shine *rolling eyes*

In my experience, the way things worked were - corpers could get request letters from companies that they wanted to work for, submit them to NYSC; in turn NYSC officials would get you an official posting letter to that company. Now, I must warn you, 

• it is not enough to simply get a request letter from the company you want
• neither is it enough to get even the official posting letter from NYSC

Why do I say this? Because NYSC can post you to your father's company, and if your father has decided he doesn't want you working for him, then you'll get a rejection letter and have to start scrambling to look for another potential place of primary assignment. I saw more than enough people rejoice over getting posting letters to oil companies and banks, only to be rejected by those companies because they didn't have someone on the inside helping them out. We got out of camp in December, it's almost March now and there are still some corpers who have not found a place of primary assignment that will give them an acceptance letter. 

What really saddens me about this whole thing is that back in my parents' days, they literally had multiple offers and options from different companies and government ministries. They could sit back, relax, and go with the highest bidders. And now, most corpers are scrambling and getting stuck performing the most mundane tasks in offices that don't want them! Only God can help this country, f'real.

Back to the PPA process... you collect your posting letter on the last day of orientation camp. The rule is that as you leave the camp grounds, you should head straight to your PPA to submit your posting letter. The earlier the better, because some companies processes are longer and can take up to a month to finalize. Some companies will ask you to go for medical tests; some will interview you; some will administer aptitude tests, etc. If all goes well, you will receive an acceptance letter, which you should make a few photocopies of (also make photocopies of your posting letter as well).

When you receive an acceptance or rejection letter, you're supposed to report to your LGI (Local Government Inspector's) office to either register there or ask for a new posting letter. At this juncture, you will realize that the stress of camp DOES NOT end in camp. It continues for the next 11 months, once a week. Mentally prepare yourself for the coming year.

*I have a nice PPA, thank God. However, it almost didn't happen cos the lady in charge of giving out acceptance letters got ticked off at me because she said I didn't personally call to thank her for her efforts in getting me in. I had to swallow my tongue and craft a very lovely apologetic text to her after she hung up on me - she really did hang up on me (Nigerians and the rampant bad attitude!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!). Word to the wise - now's another time to put your 'sucking up' skills into practice.*

I think I've sufficiently covered this portion of NYSC. Oh, I must mention that some states (e.g. Rivers) make ALL corpers teach... I'm just letting you know, in case you were thinking of serving there.

Gotta run. I have CD tomorrow 

What is NYSC?

NYSC, commonly called 'Youth Service,' stands for National Youth Service Corps.

The official NYSC website can be found here: http://www.nysc.gov.ng/

Let's start from the beginning... Between 1967 and 1970, there was a civil war in Nigeria, also known as the Biafran War. The south-easterners of Nigeria attempted to create a new nation, Biafra, due to economic, religious, and ethnic tensions. Nigeria won the war, and in 1973, created the National Youth Service Corps as a way to foster unity and appreciation of diversity among the youth of the nation. Click here for a more comprehensive look at the history of NYSC.

The basic premise was/is to send university graduates to different parts of the country (from their ethnic origins) for a period of one year. During the service year, graduates are expected to mix with people of other ethnic groups, gain one-year work experience, and engage in service to help develop their host communities.

NYSC Vision:
To develop a scheme that is dynamic enough to meet new challenges and become the leading light of youth organizations in Africa.

NYSC Mission:
To mobilize and groom graduate youths for the promotion of National Unity, Sustainable Development, Self-Reliance and prepare them for the challenges of leadership.

NYSC Service Year Components:
During the one-year service period, the program consists of 4 parts.

1. Mobilization/Orientation - This part of the program refers to the 1-2 month registration period; posting; as well as the three-week orientation in whatever NYSC Camp you have been posted to.
2. Primary Assignment - The primary assignment begins as soon as you leave the NYSC Camp. All corpers are expected to report at their place of primary assignment (PPA) as soon as they receive their posting letters. It lasts for a period of about 11 months.
3. Community Development Service - This part is done in conjunction with the primary assignment. Commonly abbreviated, the CDs, are generally by choice (unless you're a doctor or lawyer) and serves as your part in helping to develop your host community. It can range from mentoring programs, health advocacy, to sports, performing arts and much more. Each CD meets once a week, during the week, which means corpers have a 4-day work week and a day off to attend your CD group.
4. Passing Out - During the final week of the service year, corpers are brought together to evaluate their year of service. There's one last parade, during which corpers who have completed the requirements are given their certificates.

Click here to see an in-depth description of the service year.

Common Misconceptions about NYSC

1. You are exempt once you turn 30. This is a MYTH! The fact is that you are exempt from NYSC IF you receive your FIRST degree AFTER you turn 30. So those of you who want to bypass NYSC and hold out till you turn 30, might as well wait until then to graduate with your bachelor's degree.
2. Foreign-trained graduates can choose where they serve. This one is HALF TRUE - HALF FALSE. Up until this year, it was common knowledge that international students could pick between Abuja and Lagos for their NYSC postings. However, when you go to Abuja for your registration, one of the first signs you see says "Foreign-trained graduates do not have the right to choose where they serve." Being Nigeria though, there are ways around this sort of thing. 
3. Orientation Camp is simply military drills, marching, and man 'o war activities. These are components of camp, yes. But there are a gazillion mandatory lectures as well - 98% of which are boring beyond belief! In addition, there are social activities, such as dramas, dances, pageants, bonfire night, etc. 

I think I've covered the basics of NYSC so far. I will touch more on each part of the program in further postings, but I just wanted to give you a snap shot of NYSC.