My Experience On NYSC Camp Okada, Edo, Benin City.
I think through the NYSC program, Nigeria has everything it takes to scrap the high rate of unemployment and encourage leadership and nation-building.
As a growing average Nigerian teenager, I heard several stories about the NYSC scheme and corps members in Nigeria. How they’re called to serve their fathers land in various states after a 21days regimented camping and at the end of the collective camp experience they’d be posted into Local Government Areas [LGAs] of the state for respective primary assignments where a majority of them could be posted to teach in schools, work in industrial sectors as well as professional sectors like hospitals, courts, and government parastatals amongst other sectors of the economy; they would be paid monthly allowances by the federal republic of Nigeria.
I continued to hear the series of stories about how corps members are posted to serve in various states of the country and my story developed to become my experience when I became an NYSC corps member who’ve been given primary assignments to partake in the cause of affecting positive change in the society. The NYSC scheme is an opportunity handed to youth corps members to enable them fully access society at every reach based on what they’ve developed; nevertheless, the scheme unveils exposures and has begun to offer various opportunities to assist them and society on various levels.
Youths are highly regarded socially, and they should leverage their strength while harnessing their God-given potentials to affect change using various opportunities that have been offered through the NYSC scheme, aimed towards enhancing national development.
While I was a growing teenager, my idea towards the NYSC scheme was a bit hinged, it was blinded and very limited as a vibrant teenage student growing up in the city of Port-Harcourt, Nigeria. I even had experiences with random corps members who were posted to the Secondary school I attended as I got to build a purposeful relationship with them, learning new things, and also wished to be a corps member, someday.
Today, I’m grateful to become a bonafide corps member and that I have gained myriad experiences while on the camp from the very first day I traveled through Waterlines Park in Port-Harcourt to Benin City; I spent almost 5hrs on a smooth transit because I left the Park as early as 8:00 AM, unknowing to me that I also had a prospective corps member behind me who seated comfortably inside the-same bus as I traveled with to Benin City for the 3-weeks camp training.
I met Ibim when I arrived at the Park in Benin City, he was the one who sat behind me in the same bus while we headed in the same direction for camp training as he also spent a part of his life in Port-Harcourt city. We headed for camp together, remained close, and became great friends while on camp, to date. The camp was regimented, so we just had to re-adjust to fit into the various camp lifestyles, we stayed in the same hostel hall, visit each other's beds and play the chessboard game together reserving moments to adapt with other corps members and the new environment altogether.
While on camp, corps members were advised to join various committees or groups to perform in their various areas of interest while camping and also developing their skills and what they could be passionate about through various camping activities as they could also make good use of their time for the regimented 21-days. “An idle mind would always become the devils' workshop”, and so corps members were faced with myriad activities from regular parading, the OBS committee, social committee, sports, drama, dance, and more which kept the bubbles of the camp life.
So, as a prospective corps member making efforts to being a corps member, make an impact on camp through various committee’s because it should be one’s necessity after having to journey during the 21days and 11months during the NYSC scheme; and getting to understand what the entire scheme identifies as I had a golden opportunity to be part of the Orientation Broadcasting Services [OBS] while on camp as a news writer, I partook in reporting every camp activity and was given the chances to make clear reports of camp lectures and events for presenters and OAPs as well as I reported several occasions that the camp life came with in-between.
I also partook personally for activities such as debate, rap battles and embarked on several camp lectures that successfully painted me a crystal clear pictorial essence of the NYSC scheme compared to when I was a growing teenage 15-years ago. During camp, I got to receive a firsthand and a complete dose of materials tied to the typical essence of the NYSC program, and I think I got to fully understand what the scheme stands for while I already began developing my idea of the scheme based on my peripheral perspective while I was in secondary school. The scheme I think is beyond just attending PPA, but allows leveraging on exposure and is based on one’s entire interest. What can you offer? That is the question.
However, I think after experiencing the Skill Acquisition and Entrepreneurship Development [SAED] program and having to receive lectures on Community Development Service [CDS], taking complete charge for purposeful impact at one’s Place of Primary Assignment [PPA] as well as one could acquire loans that come with platforms connected to the NYSC scheme; I wish that prospective corps members shouldn’t seat back but make great efforts to assist national development as it gears towards such trajectory. I asked a couple of corps members their views on the scheme and one shared that it was all about teaching, and serving in one PPA and doing nothing other than focusing on CDS, at least, it wasn’t false but I learned it lends corps members the ability to access opportunities for the period, it gives more of exposure as well as offers one and organizations natural trust, nevertheless, the nature of our economy; but then the NYSC scheme has a lot and to those denouncing this, you have to think twice perhaps towards how you could leverage on this 11-months opportunity given to you to become a bit of value, and as a national watchtower even if society undermines your service. And I also think corps members should reprogram their minds from the way they understand the scheme to what they can offer because the entire scheme has all it takes to project youth corps members through national light apart from connecting, and enhancing corps members' explore in various locations.
My experience on camp is simply to give youths corps members serving and those prospective corps members about my idea of the NYSC scheme. The story is designed to clarify your mindset towards the scheme entirely as the NYSC program is not always all about representing wherever you may find yourself to serve your father's land. This program allows youth corps members to leverage their God-given potentials to expand, become leaders as they definitely would help nation-building materialize; this program needs a great turn for restructuring rather than scrapping a system that could tend to become a tool to reshape an average Nigerian youth’s mind because I think through the NYSC program, Nigeria has everything it takes to scrap high rate of unemployment and encourage leadership and nation-building.
Awesome.
Your article is great. The nysc scheme is relevant and purposeful. Cheers..