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The National Youth Service Corps, also known NYSC, is a one-year mandatory service programme for all Nigerians upon completion of higher education.
The Corps members or ‘kopa’ or ‘otondo’ as playfully called, are usually posted randomly to any one of the 36 states in Nigeria, as well as the Federal Capital Territory. There, they serve their country through different jobs assigned, as well as community development services.
They are usually given a monthly stipend of 19,800 Naira ($53), which is popularly referred to as ‘allawi’. Some states, however, pay the corps members an additional stipend ranging from as low as 1,000 Naira ($2) to as high as 10,000 Naira ($27).
History
NYSC was created after the Nigerian civil war which left the country in a fragmented state. The purpose of the scheme was to reconstruct and rehabilitate a hurting country.
NYSC was introduced during the administration of General Yakubu Gowon. It was established by decree No.24 on 22nd May 1973 which stated that the “NYSC is being established with a view to the proper encouragement and development of common ties among the youths of Nigeria and the promotion of national unity”.
What Is The NYSC Call Up Letter?
Before a newly mobilized corp member heads to the orientation camp, the person is required to print his call-up letter which is a proof that the person has signed for national service.
A typical NYSC call-up letter contains the following the person’s name, call-up number, Gender, Institution you studied at, state of origin, state of deployment, officer-in-charge, date of reporting, the course of study, and address of his orientation camp.
NYSC call-up number is quite different from NYSC certificate number, although the two keep confusing many acclaimed graduates and ex-corp members.
A corp member’s call-up number is the combination of abbreviation of National Youth Service Corps, the state where he/she is posted, the institution he/she graduated from, the year and batch he/she is posted to serve and then his/her unique number.
For instance, an undergraduate’s call-up looks this way NYSC/AB/BEN/218/142356
NYSC means National Youth Service Corps
AB means Abia State – where he/she is posted to serve
BEN means the University of Benin where he/she graduated from
218 (2018) is the year he/she is mobilized for service
142356 is his/her unique number.
What is Senate List?
The Senate list, also called the Senate mobilization list, is a list of approved institutions whose students are eligible to be mobilized for the national service.
How To Check Senate List
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Go to NYSC senate list portal https://portal.nysc.org.ng/nysc2/VerifySenateLists.aspxSelect your Institution.Fill in your Matriculation Number and surname in the required boxes.Select your date of birth.Click the ‘search’ button to see your mobilization status.
Registration Portal, Login
After completion of an undergraduate course or HND, every Nigerian is mandated to register for the service program. Log in is made easy as undergraduates are expected to use the portal http://portal.nysc.org.ng/nysc3/ to log in and then http://portal.nysc.org.ng/nysc2/ for registration.
Both processes are usually done using local cyber cafes as registration requires biometric data such as fingerprints which are easily done there. The registration process is free with an optional Green card fee of 3,000 Naira ($8).
At least two weeks after registration begins, the prospective corps members travel to their designated state for a three-week orientation course. The orientation course includes guidelines for adapting to the new communities, skills acquisition classes (SAED), Man O’ War drills, fun inter-platoon competitions among others.
Following the end of the orientation course, each corps member is given a posting letter which usually includes a local government in the state where the corps member is posted to, a Place of Primary Assignment (PPA), where their duties will be carried out either as a teacher, health official, government official, and so on.
Although it is mandatory to serve at the designated local government area, some corps members have the opportunity to redeploy to another state or local government. This is usually based on health reasons, marital reasons, etc.
After registration at the designated local government, corps members are given a community development service (CDS) group. The CDS is a scheme directed at giving back to the community in which corps members are serving. CDS meetings are compulsory and hold once a week. Some CDS groups include Charity, Red Cross, Road Safety, Global Goals, Publicity, Dance & Drama, among others.
Corps members are mandated to stay in their designated state all through the service. However, in case of emergency or necessity, a corps member can apply for a temporary leave.
Upon completion of the service program, corps members are given a certificate to testify of having completed the program. The certificate can be used when applying for a job after the service program, as most employers require prospective employees to have completed the program.
For more information on the National Youth Service Corps visit:
Official website: http://www.nysc.gov.ng/
Twitter: @nysc_ng
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/NYSCNG/