You Serve Anyway...

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Whether you like it or not, you’ll have to serve your country. For some, you do mandatory military service, and for others, you serve your country in some other way. Here in Nigeria, it’s seen as a big deal because it’s that moment in your life where you’re sure that the certificate you’re working so hard for will finally be of use. Because if you refuse to serve after school and you have no valid reason for that, it could bring about major issues for you.

So, it’s something many people look forward to, and even if you don’t look forward to it, you still have to participate in it. At least, for your own good because it goes a lot with helping the individuals.

Here in Nigeria, the mandatory service is known as the NYSC (Nigerian Youth Service Corps) and it usually begins with a 21-day camp in all states of the federation, depending on where you’re assigned to. It’s not open to everyone though; you have to be a graduate before you’re eligible to serve your country. And then, there’s a cap on the age bracket. Adults over the age of 30 can’t be allowed to serve, they’ll be given letters of exemption which will inform their would-be employers about their status.

It doesn’t end there though, because marital status is also a major factor when serving. I’ve heard that informing the NYSC that you’re married and also showing proof of marriage, will influence the state you get to serve in. If you have kids, the chances will even be higher that you’ll serve in your state of residence. Anything thing else, you’re eligible for service. You’ll be sent far away from your comfort zone. They won’t send you to the state you grew up in, and they won’t send you to the state you schooled in. That way, you’ll have to learn how to relate to the people in your new locality.

So, what are my thoughts on this? It’s a good initiative because it forces people to learn more about other parts of the country. People who have only known city life will be forced to learn how to live in rural areas and interact with such people. In the same way, those who were only used to rural lifestyle will be forced to learn how to cope with city life.

This is also a way for people to build meaningful connections because many times, the choices we make during our service year can stick with us forever. Sometimes people get sent to a state and they fall in love with the state and decide to settle down there. And then, we can talk about the allowance, it’s something that people also look forward to. This is because it gives fresh graduates an idea of how the labor market works. I’ve heard stories of people who worked at a company during service and got retained due to how effective they were. It happens.

Well, that’s not always how it works out for everyone. These days, people choose to ‘work’ their way through service, choosing to pick and select where they get to serve. At this point, anything is possible, and I just feel that has taken away the joy of the process. Not knowing where you’re going to end up and forcing yourself out of your comfort zone so that you can become an integral member of the community.

So, should NYSC be scrapped? No… there is so much that the initiative still has to offer. Without it, some people will grow up, school, live, and die in one state. This will force everyone, even if it’s once in their lives, to try something new and be creative. Because that’s all NYSC is all about; trying something new.

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_{Thank you for reading. Feel free to share your thoughts in the comments below, I would love to know what you’re thinking.}

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_{This post is inspired by the second topic of this week which is Mandatory Service. Feel free to share your thoughts.}

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_{N.B: All images are mine. The thumbnail was designed using Canva.}

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