So this is something a lot of my friends and I have argued about. NYSC is supposed to help you get work experience and maybe even get you a job where you serve, but let's be real: most people are just counting days till it's over. From what I've seen, a few lucky people actually get jobs at their place of service, but most just finish and have to restart the job hunt from scratch.

Sometimes, NYSC is used like a gap year where you just chill or take odd jobs. For some, that’s actually helpful if they use the time to plan their next move or learn something on the side. But for plenty of people, it just puts off unemployment for a year, especially if you’re posted somewhere with zero job opportunities. I remember my cousin served in a super remote town, and he said there weren't any jobs even after NYSC.

If you hustle and use the year well, you might meet someone or learn a skill that helps. But honestly, for most people, NYSC doesn’t really fix the bigger problem of youth unemployment in Nigeria.