Alaba Oluwadamilarey Samuel

Back then, the promise of securing meaningful employment after graduation was more optimistic than it is today. However, in the face of rising youth unemployment, underemployment, and the lingering challenges of sociopolitical and economic instability, the NYSC continues to serve as a beacon of hope, equipping graduates with invaluable life experiences and skills to navigate a rapidly evolving nation.

But with the shift in learning experience as a result of Ai and co, our educational system is not evolving around the global transformation and vicissitude of global knowledge. Yet, are we to say that the government at all levels are not aware of the travails of all graduates or they just don't care at all? Whatever the answer is, the fact remains that the level of unemployment is still increasing daily in Nigeria. 

According to the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS), Nigeria's unemployment stands at 22.45 million as job loss hits 710,693 annually as of 2017 last quarter for the year. Today, recent data from the same institution, that Nigeria's unemployment rate dropped to 4.3% in the second quarter of 2024. This is a significant improvement from the 5.3% recorded in the first quarter of 2024. The report also highlighted that the employment-to-population ratio increased to 76.1% in Q2 2024, up from 73.2% in Q1 2024.

While I am not a prophet of doom or anti-progressive, can we trust the government? How does this stat translate into massive employment and skills acquisition, and not brain-drain or propaganda? 
Over the years, I have been observing some interesting scenarios in Nigeria and I couldn’t but speak my mind on why I think most graduates of tertiary institutions shouldn't stay longer than expected with their parents after their NYSC year. Take a look below at my residual verdict;  

It belittles your personal growth and mental reasoning;-

The majority of Nigerian parents hardly support their children’s hurdles after the service year because they are fond of believing the token sum of N19,800 Federal allowance should be enough to augment one’s earnings during the service year. 

Come to think of it, if you are posted to a far village or a town where the cost of living is high, the expenses are likely to  be high, and if your place of primary assignment is not paying a stipend, then I assume you could hardly have reasonable savings, not to even talk about investment. 

That’s is why most Corp members usually involved in some petty business, such as selling recharge cards, unisex wear itineraries, confectionery event decoration etc, just to survive. Although it is usually painful when most parents don't understand this, instead of being supportive, the majority demoralizes one's hustling spirit.  

It may make you carefree about widening your horizons;-

When you still live under your parent’s roof after service years, your zeal and passion for widening your professional career growth and hustling might be retarded. The reason is that you might not think faster to settle down for a host of projects. 

After all, you are being fed by them, even though you might be working elsewhere, just to survive. Yet, you just have to get hell out of there before it is too late! You cannot remain in a single spot; you need to upgrade your skills and certifications as soon as possible. Remember, time waits for no one.  

It could likely increase your expenses:-

Contrary to many people’s opinion that when you live with your family after NYSC year, you can easily manage costs because you are enjoying the warm reception of your parent. However, it is a lie! This is because no matter the population in the house you cannot live together without paying some bills regardless of how jobless or underpaid you are.  

Except one is shameless. Compared to how easily it could be more economical if you are living alone. Hence, you will discover that with time, your expenses on bills may rise even if you have more than two menial jobs. 

Sometimes, if you have many underage children in the house, you may have to subscribe to a Digital satellite network to make the house lively. What about filling gas cylinders for cooking, prepaid electricity bills, security and vigilante's dues, etc. if you live alone, all these could be easily managed without stress.  

You are likely to be pressurized to impromptu marriage:-

Here, ladies are usually vulnerable because upon return from service after a year the expectations of parents are usually higher, especially the mothers. They have a strong belief that, even if you are too busy during your undergraduate days to the extent that you can’t find a life partner, service year should provide the alternative for a serious relationship. 

It should be noted that not all parents fall under this category because some well-to-do parents usually advise their children to pursue their master’s degree programme before getting married. Yet, a vast majority of African parents believed that women's prime is shorter than that of men. Therefore, the majority usually pester their children to get married early.    

Even though on the part of men, some parents support their hustling but never get carried away in any form because they used to say that, no man is ever ready to settle down on time unless they are being forced, provided that they have a good business and career which support their family without stress. 

It breeds an intrusion of privacy:

On most occasions, I have seen a lot of people who complained bitterly that their parents do not understand why they prefer to stay silent on certain issues at times. As one reaches age 25, the reasoning of a responsible young adult must be well structured and understood by parents, not as an act of disrespect.

As a young adult, there are times when one has to make strong decisions that require no parental consultation. But some parent still expects their young graduates around the corner to inform them on almost all decisions. 

Are we to talk about choosing a marital partner, deciding on when to settle down, business ideas, spiritual warfare to the range of salary one is earning? Oops! That's never done! I am aware that no matter how old a child is, he or she remains a child to the parent, but there are exemptions because I believe that young adults should be given respect in respect to making decisions on certain issues.

Bill Gates once said “To dream bigger and attain greatness, you must be ready to take big risks” Likewise another famous Hollywood actor, Jason Statham opined that" Take risks wherever you can, if you win, you will be happy, if you lose, you will be wiser.” Going by this view, whatever the answer or outcome, the result is always to gain knowledge. 

So, you need to stop living with your parent as soon as possible after the NYSC  programme. Try and network with your reliable old buddies from school try new things, and secure an affordable apartment together if you cannot afford it alone while you sort yourself out later. My friend is starting something new! You just have to start from somewhere because if you do not do that now, you will continue to rigmarole on the spot. 

Nevertheless, one still needs parental guidance on certain issues because they are more experienced. Fine! That is cool, isn't it? But they should not impose their will on their young people.    

You may lose your dignity with time regardless of your responsibility: 

Take it or leave it, no prophet amounts to any substance in his homestead. I know the economy of our dear nation has been very bad. From budget paddling to inflation and unemployment, I know how hard it has become for some families to have three square meals a day. Fine! But hey! You still have to get out of that place as soon as you fix something better out there. 

Look here, your dignity has limitations and once it passes that grace period, the problem erupts while it leads to other things. For ladies as soon as you reach age 25 and 28 for guys, the pressure of a “Quarter-life crisis” sets in: the pressure of thinking ahead comes into being. You become so beclouded with a lot of things such as career pursuit, family breeding, business ideas generation, marriage and a lot more. 

So, if you still live under your parent's roof this time, the majority of people including parents might not understand and if you don’t act fast to achieve certain things that time, you begin to lose your honours gradually unless you spread your tentacles.   

Come on! You have to take a deep breath and leave the house for a while by engaging yourself in productive activities such as internship, volunteering, and courses on digital skills, probably online certification, trade fairs, career fun fare and a lot more just to equip yourself ahead of the unknown challenges in the saturated labour market. 

Little wonder, many young graduates quickly settle for various vocational and skills acquisition programmes in the recent time than before. Some have embarked on learning tailoring/ fashion designing, automobile and bike spare parts, shoemaking, cakes, and confectionery, ushering and event planning, beads making, liquid soap production, costume, and makeup, traditional masters of ceremony (alaga iduro) for engagement and marriage in Yoruba land. What about the supermarket and itinerary skills just to mention but a few.

Will you blame them when our governments have failed to provide good employment opportunities over the years? Even though many civil servants are retiring every year, the government has failed to employ able youths to fill the vacuum because of their selfish desires. Nigerian youths are helpless and they have to survive by all means. 

I am not surprised at how disdainful and shocking President Buhari labelled us lazy people recently because it shows how callous our leaders are. What a shame! So, as fresh graduates, you need to leave the house as soon as you can. I mean after a while your parent can accord you the due respect you deserve because if you don’t do that now, a time is coming that frustration will set in to disrupt all your ideas.

As a potentially blessed youth, I remain convinced that Nigerian graduates deserve the best of treatment and should be accorded due respect anytime, anywhere and in any situation because we are not lazy. We are creative, hardworking, visionary and astute in all our dealings. To all youths out there, your destiny lies in your hands, so be a goal-getter and avoid staying too long with your parent after service year because you deserve something better than hiding under their roof.

GOD BLESS OUR HUSTLES