1. Registration Phase: The Unexpected Beginning

My NYSC story truly began during registration. After missing registration in Batch B because I arrived late, I promised myself not to repeat the mistake. So on November 13th, I went to the University of Ibadan as early as 7 a.m., only to meet eight other early birds waiting for the cybercafe man who was nowhere in sight.

While waiting, I went to the Student Union Building to charge my laptop. When the cybercafe man finally arrived and began distributing numbers, the new number I received was even higher than the one I got earlier before he arrived. Camp life hadn’t even started, and I was already experiencing wahala.

The major part of the process was biometric capturing. I had previously done biometrics for Batch B Stream II, so I assumed I could continue from there. But I was told I needed to capture again. I reluctantly paid, but when it got to my turn, the system detected my earlier data and blocked the capture.

As others completed their registration smoothly, my portal kept giving errors. Thankfully, a kind lady named Oluwadamilola Agboola offered to help. That simple act of kindness made me more interested in talking to her.

Eventually, I discovered the real issue myself: a hidden checkbox indicating that I didn’t complete my previous registration in Batch B Stream II. Once I selected it, everything worked perfectly. I completed the entire process on my laptop and even helped others fix the same problem.

After registration, we waited for the call-up letter for days. At exactly 1:20 a.m. on November 25th, I checked my dashboard. I had been posted to Oyo State. I wasn’t surprised; it meant my mum's connection worked out. I started preparing for camp.

2. Orientation Phase: The Camp Chronicles

on November 27th, I woke up by 4:37 a.m., excited and ready. I met up with my friend Felix, and we headed to Ojoo Bus Terminal for the trip to Iseyin. At the park, I met someone who later became a good friend Timothy Adedeji. The journey was long, and I didn’t sleep until we arrived.

At the camp gate, our school IDs were checked, bags were searched, and my extension box and mug were seized as contraband. I collected a tag for retrieval after camp.

We were assigned to Ajumobi Hostel, a massive hall with endless bunks. Felix took the upper bunk; I took the lower one.

Camp registration continued, and that was when I was told, I needed my original documents—not photocopies. I had left everything at home. I had no choice but to print “originals” for ₦500 each. Because of the delay, Felix got State Code 200+ (Platoon 2), while I landed in the 400s (Platoon 8). In the process, I met Peace Akinduko, and we became good friends almost instantly.

The camp routine kicked off hard. By 5 a.m., we were already outside in the freezing cold. When Muslim prayers started, I followed them to the mosque—not to pray, but to escape the cold. From there, we went back to the parade ground for morning meditation.

That first morning, they served beans for breakfast at the kitchen. I quietly escaped to Mami Market and bought bread and tea from a woman I met on the bus while coming to camp. That became a routine anytime beans was served.

Camp activities rolled in full force:

• Morning drills

• Salutation practices

• Lectures from 10 a.m.–1 p.m.

• SAED from 1 p.m.–2 p.m.

• Parade practice till evening

I, however, nicknamed myself the “Minister of Enjoyment.” I marched badly on purpose so they wouldn’t choose me for parade competitions.

Despite my enjoyment lifestyle, camp was full of interesting moments. I made friends, connected with people, and started strategizing how to secure my preferred PPA.

Soon, we had an inter-platoon debate competition. Four of us were chosen to represent our platoon Peace, Blessing, Obinwa, and I. Obinwa was the most prepared, so he served as the supporting speaker, while Peace took the role of main speaker. Together, they delivered a strong performance and secured 3rd place.

But after a while, the excitement wore off. I wanted an exeat badly but held back because I wasn’t sure of my PPA posting yet.

Then came the Data Evaluation Team one of my best decisions in camp. We sorted questionnaires, skipped some morning lectures, and basically enjoyed life.

Later, some companies came to recruit software developers. We wrote exams, attended interviews, and I was among the few selected. My posting letter eventually matched the company that picked me.

I also participated in the SAED exhibition for ICT and unexpectedly won 3rd place, even though I slept through most SAED classes. The State Coordinator even congratulated me.

Before we knew it, camp was over. We boarded the buses to Ibadan North Local Government for documentation.

3. PPA / LGI Phase: A Journey of Work, Stress, and Discovery

I reported to my PPA the next morning. The environment was cool, their projects were impressive as they majored on fintech. I accepted their offer to resume in January.

On January 6th, I resumed officially. The company had just purchased Starlink for their new branch called Worknub. The staff were friendly, the CEO spoke to us, and we were grouped into departments. I also loved their celebration culture where everyone went home with an “Item 7” and a bottle of Coke when they were occassions for celebrations.

But soon, reality hit.

The workload became overwhelming. I’ve always preferred remote work and flexibility, but here I was reporting every day, juggling multiple mobile and web projects because of my fast delivery rate. My laptop struggled, and nothing was done despite my complaints.

Some nights, I stayed until 9 p.m. The stress became unbearable. I started losing weight. I knew deep inside— This wasn’t the life I wanted.

So I planned my exit.

I finished all pending tasks to maintain a clean record. A week into the next month, I submitted my request, and the company issued my rejection letter. The moment I stepped out, peace returned.

Over the next month, I searched for a less stressful PPA. My friend Timothy got a freelance job that required MQL programming for a trading robot. I had never written MQL before, but I trusted my general programming skills. With Timothy’s guidance and ChatGPT’s help, I delivered the project successfully.

Eventually, I was posted to a very large school with seven JSS1 arms—over 40 students per class. I rejected it immediately. Later, I found a smaller school and negotiated three days per week, then two. Most times, I didn’t show up except for clearance.

During this period, my friends and I co-founded a tech solutions company. It remains one of the best decisions I’ve ever made. We’ve been growing, building projects, getting referrals, and solving real problems.

4. Winding-Up/Passing-Out: The Quiet Ending That Meant Everything

On November 11th, 2025, I completed my NYSC journey. There was no passing-out parade for our batch — we simply went to the NYSC secretariat office and collected our certificates. It was a quiet but satisfying moment, marking the official end of a long, eventful year of service.

Yet, standing there with my certificate in hand, it hit me in a deeper way.

This small sheet of paper held a year’s worth of experiences ranging from the stress, the friendships, the lessons, the late nights, the frustrations, the wins, and the countless moments that changed how I see work, peace, people, and myself. It felt like closing a chapter I didn’t even realize had shaped me so much.

This final phase taught me an important lesson: Peace of mind is more valuable than any high-pressure career path.

NYSC didn’t just expose me to the world; it helped me redefine how I want to live and work. Since leaving the stressful company, I’ve achieved even more—and yes, I’m open to software contracts and gigs.

This was my NYSC journey—messy, exciting, challenging, and transformative. And I’m proud of every step.