With less than 11 days to the commencement of the
National Youth Service Corps, NYSC, 2015 Batch ‘A’
orientation course, this piece was compiled to educate
the prospective Corps Members and any other interested
party on what to expect in and outside the NYSC Camp .
If we recall, the NYSC 2015 Batch ‘A’ orientation course
starts on 5th, of May and ends on 26th, May 2015.
Please as you read, kindly share with your friends too.
1. Prepare Your Mind:
First and foremost, you need to prepare your mind that
you are leaving home for a regimented life in the camp .
Life in the camp is deliberately made stressful so as to
prepare you for any challenge that may confront you
outside the camp .
You will not find it too comfortable, It’s a camp and not
your Father’s house! Just be ready for anything.
2. Itemize All Your Needs Using A Scale Of Preference
(very important ones first):
1. Very Important Ones
a. Statement of Result
b. School ID Card
c. Passport photographs (30 copies, Surplus is better
than inadequacy)
d. Call-Up Letter (DO NOT laminate it please)
e. A Clear Bag file (To house the above items)
NB: Get 10 photocopies each of items A,B, and D
above. The copies may be surplus.
2. Important Ones (For your Convenience)
a. Stapler, pin and office gum (will save you the stress
of ‘borrow-me’)
b. Two or three white T-shirts and shorts (You will be
given two sets but you may not like the quality)
c. Two or three pairs of socks and a white rubber tennis
shoes (for rainy days)
d. Bathroom slippers and Dettol
f. Two plastic buckets (You can buy it in the camp but
it will be more expensive) and a permanent marker
g. Sponge and its case, bath-soap and detergent
h. Bedsheet, towel and wrapper and two pairs of casual
wear
i. Mosquito Net (not compulsory)
j. Handkerchiefs (very important especially for those
that sweat)
k. Waist bag (very very important for housing your
phones, ID Cards, Handkerchief, biros, etc)
l. Novels
m. Small-sized Torchlight/Rechargeable lamp (small one
please)
n. Your ATM card(s)
o. Cooler cup and spoon
p. Phone and charger
q. Beverages
r. Ladies could add any other few conveniences. I
believe you understand me
s. Money! Money! Money! Hold good cash please
depending on how you spend
NYSC-Corpers
3. Go Early:
Please, no matter how close the camp might be to your
street, enable to go early. If you are posted to a far
state, go the day before the camp opens. They will
allow you in. Going late will make you go through
registration stress. Be warned!
4. Screening:
The screening starts at the gate, where your loads are
open and thoroughly search. They don’t want you to
bring in prohibited items like iron, knives, bombs, etc.
5. Registration:
The first registration will certainly be for hostel/
bedspace, where you;ll be given tags to identify with.
Then the paper registrations proper follows. try as much
as possible to make everything available. Look out for
information pasted on walls. Follow instructions strictly.
6. Your Kits:
During the registration, you will get all your kits (shirts,
shorts and shoes). Use the marker to write your Code
Number (CN) on them ‘sharp-sharp” You will also be
given a tag that will show your CN. That will be your ID
Card temporarily. You take it everywhere in camp . You
will be given a meal ticket. Misplace it and forget about
NYSC food.
7. Duration:
You will be in the camp for 20 full days. The 21st day is
the day you will be leaving the camp .
nysc-corpers1
8. No Room For Casual Wears:
Immediately you have your kits, only your T-shirt and
shorts with the tennis shoe are allowed on you. No
room for casual wears. Parade/marching training starts
immediately. The soldiers will not give you breathing
space at all. You will have the first one that same Day
One. Watch Out! people could be fainting on the Parade
Ground. You won’t faint, calm down… So eat well. It’s
the stress that causes their fainting.
9. Morning Regimented Programme:
A small trumpet wakes you at 4am. Everybody gathers
at the Parade Ground (PG) at 4:30am. You have your
praise, worship and prayer the Christian and Muslim
ways. After the morning admonitions, by 7am, breakfast
follows! After eating, you will be called out again for the
series of programmes lined up for you. Then you have
your lunch. Rest a little and you are out again for
evening parade. Then later your dinner. This will repeat
itself everyday perhaps except on Sunday.
10. Hate The Food And Feed Yourselves At Your Costs:
You may not like the food. You can always go to the
Mammy Market (MM) i.e the Camp Market to fill your
‘tank’ with delicacies at your cost.
11. Stealing:
Stealing is prevalently prevailing at the Camp . This is
‘legalised’. They can steal anything. Be wise.
12. Soldiers:
Please i beckon on you all to respect and obey them.
although they are not permitted to beat you, however,
they can punish you. No walking, its all jogging when
they call you. Don’t prostrate or kneel down greeting a
soldier. Do it the soldier way. They could be friendly
anyway.
13. Allawe:
Your first allowance (#19, 800) will be given to you in
the camp , and it will be in cash. All other ones will be
through the bank. You will also get Bicycle Allowance.
14. Photography:
Photographers are going to be everywhere ready to
snap you, please be prudent in spending.
Corps-members
15. By Now Your Done With Camp And Going To Your
Place Of Primary Assignment:
You will be posted from the camp to where you will
work. The place you work in is called your Place of
Primary Assignment (PPA). Hear this: most Corps
members, I mean about 90% of the Corpers will be
posted to schools (especially primary and secondary
schools). Only VERY FEW will be posted to the
universities, polytechnics and Colleges. Please! Don’t
lobby for your posting. Don’t pay anybody for
assistance. Pray rather than pay. Gone are the days
when Corps Members are posted to Banks and Co.
Receive the shocking or expected postings as you
receive your letters with joy. It’s a clarion call to
service; that’s what they call it.
16. Transportation Out Of Camp :
When you get your Posting Letter, the first place to go
to is your PPA. If you are identified with the Fellowship
in camp , you may first report at the temporary lodge
they will provide. Then you could report at your PPA
later same day or the following day. Please, when you
leave the camp , home- sweet-home will be on your
mind, having been used up in the camp. But please,
don’t go home straight. Please! Very few of your
employers (i.e. PPAs) will send down vehicles to convey
you from the camp to their workplaces. Private and
some Govt higher education institutions do. The
Fellowship too make arrangement for you at your cost.
Commercial transporters will likely be
available at the gate too. Be wise.
17. Accommodation At PPA:
You don’t know anybody in Benue or Kogi! Where will
you sleep on the first day? The Fellowship may give you
a temporary accommodation pending the time you will
have to get yours. You could be lucky if your employer
gives you a room. Many of them don’t give Corpers
accommodation anyway. So be prepared to rent one at
your cost. Your first ‘allowee’ which you received in the
camp is already going down!
18. Clearance:
This is why you don’t have to go home straight. Your
registration (clearance) at the NYSC Office in the Local
Govt you will be posted to is important. Failure to
complete it before going home is the beginning of your
problem. He may begin to have problems with his
subsequent monthly allowances. Do all registrations
first. Then you can take permission to go home. Long
process! You will know why it’s so. Well, I hope these
few tips will go a long way to help you.
In order to ensure a seamless registration process,
printing of call-up letters and so on, prospective corps
members are urged to visit these NYSC sites below:
www. nysc.gov.ng
www. nysc.org.ng
www.portal. nysc .gov.ng
Best of Success!!!