Advantages And Disadvantages Of NYSC: Nigerian youths continue to passionately dispute whether or not NYSC has outlived its significance. While some young people think it’s a complete waste of time, many others think it’s time the programme went a different direction. It is indisputable that NYSC is a necessary evil, regardless of one’s stance on the programme. It is required of both public and private institutions to get NYSC dispatch credentials before to hiring graduates. You never know when possessing a NYSC dispatch certificate can help you land a contract or a political post, even if you have no plans to work for anybody in the near future.
All things in life have advantages and disadvantages, including the NYSC. The benefits and disadvantages of NYSC to Nigerian youth will be covered in this article.
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Major Advantages/Importance of doing NYSC
1. Encouraging National Cohesion: One effective tool for fostering national cohesion in Nigeria is the NYSC programme. It does this by assigning recent graduates from a range of backgrounds to different regions of the nation. It is impossible to exaggerate how important this is in a country like Nigeria with its enormous cultural diversity.
Corps participants get a profound awareness of Nigeria’s variety and the common identity that unites them as Nigerians by living and working with peers from all backgrounds and locales. Beyond the service year, this first-hand experience cultivates empathy, tolerance, and a feeling of oneness.
Many corps members have remained connected to their host communities as graduates, demonstrating the long-lasting influence of NYSC in fostering understanding and reaffirming the idea that variety is a strength rather than a source of division.
2. Acquisition of Skills: The NYSC programme offers graduates a rare chance to put their academic skills to use in real-world situations by acting as a link between education and the workforce. They may improve their skill sets and increase their employability with this practical experience. Corps members usually work in positions similar to their fields of study throughout their service year, which enables them to obtain real-world experience and comprehend the complexity of their professions.
In addition to imparting technical skills, the programme fosters resilience, flexibility, and resourcefulness because corps members frequently operate in demanding circumstances. Consequently, upon graduation from the programme, individuals possess not just academic credentials but also real-world experience that enhances their employability and allows them to meaningfully contribute to their fields of expertise.
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3. Community Development: The focus NYSC places on community development has real advantages for the country as a whole. Members of the Corps actively participate in initiatives that raise standards of living in marginalised communities. These projects address urgent needs in communities by planning healthcare outreach programmes, remodelling schools, or encouraging cleanliness and hygiene.
Residents’ well-being is greatly impacted by the corps members’ presence and efforts, which foster optimism and advancement in these underprivileged places. This emphasis on community development also advances plans for infrastructure, health, and education, all of which are in line with Nigeria’s larger development objectives. Beyond concrete results, community development instills in corps members ideals of accountability and civic obligation, which frequently inspires them to carry out similar activities even after their service year is through.
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4. Enhancing National Workforce: By preparing graduates for the rigours of the professional world and making them more employable, NYSC plays a vital role in improving the nation’s labour force. The programme makes sure corps members may supplement their theoretical background with real-world application of their academic expertise. Because they have proven to be dedicated to hard work and have confronted and conquered a variety of problems throughout their service year, employers find NYSC alumni intriguing.
They get a greater grasp of their disciplines and hone their talents from this hands-on experience. As a result, they frequently handle problems more skillfully and exhibit greater resilience in their careers. Individual participants gain from the programme, but it also makes Nigeria’s workforce stronger by turning out professionals who advance the growth and competitiveness of the country.
5. Mutual Cultural Understanding and Exchange: The NYSC programme exposes corps members to a variety of Nigerian customs and cultures, fostering cross-cultural dialogue and understanding. Posting them to communities with diverse backgrounds does this. Corps members engage in both learning about and actively participating in local customs and traditions during their year of service. This encourages cross-cultural dialogue and a respect for Nigeria’s rich cultural diversity. The programme promotes national unity by dispelling misconceptions and creating empathy-based connections.
As a result of their service year, many corps members continue to participate in cultural exchange initiatives after returning home, demonstrating the long-lasting effects of their experience. This cultural interchange celebrates variety and acknowledges it as a source of strength for the country, rather than merely valuing it.
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Disadvantages of NYSC Program in Nigeria
1. Security Issues: The safety of corps members, especially in areas impacted by insecurity, has been a major worry surrounding the NYSC programme in recent years. Concerns over the safety of corps members have increased significantly in light of reports of assaults, kidnappings, and violent crimes.
Corps members have occasionally found themselves in unstable and conflict-ridden regions. Both corps members and their families are experiencing dread and worry as a result of this. Keeping corps members safe is of utmost importance, and resolving these security issues is essential to the program’s successful and ongoing execution.
2. Underuse of Competencies: The underutilization of corps members’ abilities and credentials is another major flaw in the NYSC programme. Although this is the program’s goal, graduates aren’t usually placed in positions related to their academic specialisations.
It is possible for certain corps members to be assigned jobs that are irrelevant to their background or experience, which can be discouraging and impede their ability to advance professionally. In addition to wasting corps members’ abilities and potential, this underutilization keeps the information and skills they provide to the communities they serve from being completely used.
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3. Inadequate Welfare: During their service year, many corps members get meagre allowances, which sometimes are insufficient to meet their living expenses. This financial hardship can be especially difficult to bear in places where living expenses are high.
Corps members may have financial difficulties, which might cause problems with housing, transportation, and basic needs. There have been complaints about the poor welfare that corps members get, which has prompted requests for increased funding for the programme.
4. Deployment difficulties: There are difficulties with the NYSC programme when it comes to corps member deployment. Certain members of the corps could be sent to distant locations, causing them to be cut off from their social networks and communities.
Corps members may become dissatisfied due to irregular or unfair deployment procedures if they believe their opinions and preferences are not given enough weight. One important problem that has to be addressed is making sure the deployment process is equitable, open, and takes corps members’ needs and desires into consideration.
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Conclusion
Every Nigerian student’s goal is to graduate and join the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC). Though the NYSC programme offers many benefits, there are drawbacks as well. For the programme to effectively continue training Nigerian young for the workforce and creating national unity, it is imperative that its primary difficulties be addressed.
Edeh Samuel Chukwuemeka, ACMC, is a lawyer and a certified mediator/conciliator in Nigeria. He is also a developer with knowledge in various programming languages. Samuel is determined to leverage his skills in technology, SEO, and legal practice to revolutionize the legal profession worldwide by creating web and mobile applications that simplify legal research. Sam is also passionate about educating and providing valuable information to people.