NYSC (National Youth Service Corp) as we all know is a platform where graduates from different tertiary institution, come together for a year in various state to serve their father’s land.

To some it is an interesting phenomenon while to others it’s like hell in a packaged form. This article is not based on NYSC but on what happens after NYSC.

Some has finished their service year, while others will soon be through and then move on to the next phase of life. This means no more alert from Federal Pocket, PPA (Place of Primary Assignment) or the State Government, like it or not, this is a pure fact. But those that are extremely very lucky or those that are vigilant of the present economic trend in Nigeria will strive to success.

Those that will earnestly search for knowledge and opportunities will also succeed, those that know the dig dong search strategies will eventually find opportunities, those that are ambitious will find a lucrative business to do and those that are lazy will stay at home to realize when they are old. So which category will you belong to after your service year?

Many Nigerian graduates still sit back at home or some even tend to join the labour market movement filled with millions of graduates who are also looking for the so called “White collar Job” which in turn is tantamount to unemployment among Nigerian youths.

Recently, out of the 13,000 applications received by Dangote group of companies for graduates executive truck drivers, there were 6 PhD. holders, 704 MSC and over 8,460 BSc holders, even though the company only needed 100 drivers, almost 13,000 were received mostly from graduates of reputable universities.

More so, according to the federal ministry of labor and productivity, it was stated that the mandatory NYSC, more than 41% of Nigerian graduates are without employment.

The Bureau for Statistics added that over 50% of youths in Nigeria are jobless, while the world bank puts the figure at 56% considering the country’s estimated population of about 167 million and 60 million jobless, these figures are alarming and poses a great threat to the economic growth and development of a Nation with the highest concentration of black people on earth.

To avoid being on the negative side of Nigeria situation after service year, there are some things you need to keep your self doing, which brings about the question, What next after service year?

1. DEVELOP YOURSELF

For the first few months after service, most will remain very idle and will have nothing doing. These first few months can be used in personal development of one’s self. Mentally, Physically, and in all ramification.

Pick a skill and learn more about it, Pick up the books you have been procrastinating to read and read up. There are various books out there that can be used to develop yourself. From inspirational to spiritual to business and lots more. If already you have what you good at, you can as well develop on it.

2. LEARN A TRADE

Sounds awkward to the ears of someone that just finished service, right? As for me, it doesn’t.

Learning a trade after NYSC does not deprive you of your integrity or speaks less of you. If you check the background of some of the top rice people in your locality or Nigeria at large, you will find out that they were into trade before they started making millions out of it.

Learning a trade is not something to look down on, but an avenue to increase financially. It may be tiring and discouraging for some while after you start, but like the saying “Good things don’t come easily”, so while learning a trade also learn to also have an enduring spirit.

3. CREATE A GOOD BUSINESS PLAN AND EXECUTE

Start up that dream business you have been nursing for long. Ben (surname withheld) did his service at NNPC towers Abuja, a very good place if you must ask me, a lot of connections and opportunities.

Every month he got his “alawee” as popularly called amongst corp members, he bought clothes and shoes bags and fancy wrist watches just because he believed he needed to impress the other workers. Wrong motive I say because today he’s going through fasting and prayer just to get a job. While Daniel (Surname Withheld ) did his at a certain Ondo company, not well known and he even had issues with some months payments, but he saved up half of his allowance monthly and now he has his own functioning business. The difference between Ben and Daniel is that Daniel had a good plan laid down and a way of saving up to finance that plan from the general #19,800 all corp members receive monthly which he used to execute his plan.

4. FURTHER YOUR EDUCATION

To those of you who are the career driven types, you can decide to further your education by getting MSC (Masters) in the field of your choice. Search through accredited institutions before applying for your master’s program.

Some will say no money to fund them. Common! there are lots of scholarship programs out there, if not full then half, you can just Google search through, apply and you might be lucky.

It is okay to do your master’s degree program, but get this straight, if your sole purpose for doing masters is to get a high paying job, then you are heading for a shocker ‘cos guess what’? there are so many people with masters who are yet to get a job, talk less of good ones. So get certified in what you love and compliment it with something.

5. GET MARRIED

As funny as this may sound, it is so true and advisable for the female gender most especially. Getting married after your service year will save you from alot of stress and troubles, mostly financially and it will be a relieve to your father, as the responsibility of spending on you has been shifted to another man.

Getting married after service year is a good thing and a way of serving time, instead of being idle or flirting around thereby wasting your precious time on people that don’t worth it.

CONCLUSION

Just before you finish your service year, ask yourself these questions:-

* What are my passionate about?
* What are my opportunities like?
* What skill do I possess.

When you answer these question correctly, then you have won 50% of the race. I am a serving corp member in Ondo State (Ijare Town ), I am not scared of what the future holds for me, so long as I have plans and God, Come what may, I will survive.

These are the five things I feel all corp members should do after their service year. Criticism, correction, appraisal, addition and subtraction are all allowed. Thanks.

Drop your Comments.

Written by Komolafe Daniel Oluwole of Blog
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