By Ijeoma Nwawka

Young Nigerians will undoubtedly be faced with the following question at one point of their youth: “When do you plan on serving?” Serving refers to the state-mandated service year that all Nigerian graduates must complete before gaining employment within the country.

The National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) started off in May 1973 with the mission of promoting national unity among youth1. What is interesting about the when question is that it presupposes that one will definitely serve. Instead of meandering to the subject of whether one plans on participating in NYSC, the question jumps right to the logistics of actually doing so.

The eagerness behind the question at the very least leaves young Nigerians with the desire to give the idea of serving some thought. With this in mind, it surprised me to find out some years back that many Nigerians are not too thrilled with NYSC. According to them, the program lacks the luster and appeal that it once had. Although most will agree that its origins are well grounded, different circumstances in today’s day and age have removed much of the positive aspects that NYSC once offered.

In the last few years, the goal of promoting unity was dimmed by the mass killings of southern Nigerians who were serving in the northern parts of the country. Their deaths were a grim reminder that something must be done to curtail manifestations of ethnic and religious intolerance. Suffice to say, my answer to the question of when I plan on serving is not readily apparent. However, a recent trip to the motherland gave me a glimmer of hope. My peers living there, having recently served, expressed a sense of pride in doing so.

Though frustrated with certain structural defects of the program, they viewed completion as a rite of passage and something that could never be taken away from them. I was also encouraged to hear that policies had been undertaken to make the work done in that year of service more purposeful. One such policy is having youth corpers (as those serving are commonly called) fill in in sectors of national deficiency such as education and agriculture.

In addition, Nigerians from the south may now contest postings to the north until it is proven safe for them to return there. Though some vexations lie in requiring most youth corpers to teach or farm, the fact remains that these NYSC reformations show that someone in power is listening to complaints that the program is no longer useful. The most encouraging piece of information I received whilst home was that a growing number of young Nigerians in diaspora are returning to Nigeria. Contrary to popular belief, NYSC has not proven to be a deterrent to these youth who are ready to join the Nigerian workforce. NYSC instead is merely a means to an end.

I like to believe that that end is to better Nigeria. There is no question that with more young people invested in the country things will invariably get better. Because of this fact, the question of when things will get better becomes more answerable.