The National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) is an essential program for Nigerian graduates. Fresh graduates are required to dedicate a year to national service, and the registration process involves multiple steps, including both online and onsite registration, as well as biometric verification.
However, many graduates encounter significant challenges during the registration process, ranging from network failures to long queues and technical difficulties. In this report, some Nigerian university graduates share the struggles they faced while registering for NYSC.
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Technical Glitches and Long Queues
Oluwakemi, a graduate of Obafemi Awolowo University, described her ordeal at a cyber café where she attempted her onsite registration. She noted that the process had to be repeated fifteen times due to technical issues and unstable internet connections.
‘I was very tired, and it kept rejecting some other people’s registrations. Eventually, I was able to complete mine, but after payment, I had to wait 24 hours for it to reflect. Even after that, it took another week before I finally got my colored number. Checking for postings was also hectic,’ she recounted.
Similarly, Adedeji Timothy, another graduate of Obafemi Awolowo University, stated that many students experienced registration issues at the cyber café where he registered. One major problem was that the NYSC portal did not accept some telephone numbers starting with 081. To complete his registration, he had to use a different phone number before proceeding with biometric verification.
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Portal Traffic
Oyewale Opeyemi, a graduate of the University of Ilorin, described the NYSC registration process as “a survival of the fittest” and “a time-waster.” He cited high traffic on the NYSC portal as a major challenge, emphasizing that Nigerian systems struggle to accommodate a large number of users.
‘NYSC was extremely stressful. I almost gave up on the whole thing and considered focusing on something else. I spent hours at the cyber café, feeling like a lost son in the wilderness. Thankfully, it eventually worked the following day,’ he shared.
Opeyemi also lamented the travel stress, noting that despite being posted to Abuja, he had to embark on a one-day journey to Nasarawa for documentation. He added that the stress and delay caused two graduates to become unconscious.
Unstable Internet connection and Payment Failures
Oyeleke Olusola, a graduate of Osun State University, experienced persistent difficulties accessing the NYSC website. He had to try multiple times with different approaches, but the issue persisted.
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‘The website barely loaded, making it almost impossible to register. Due to abrupt internet disconnections, I had to go through several failed transactions before completing the process. Each step—uploading documents, filling personal information, etc.—kept failing,’ he explained.
He described the experience as mentally and emotionally draining, adding that, ‘The entire process, which should have been straightforward, became overwhelming due to constant interruptions. Dealing with such a poorly optimized system left me frustrated and helpless.’
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Biometric Issues
Ganiyat Olayiwola, a graduate of Obafemi Awolowo University, stated that despite taking time off work for her registration, she still faced internet issues at the cyber café. After an hour of network interruptions, she finally managed to complete her online form and biometric verification.
During NYSC camp registration, she noted that many graduates struggled with fingerprint recognition.
‘I was lucky my thumbprint was recognized immediately, but many others had to wait because their fingerprints were not accepted. The entire registration process was exhausting, and the little sleep we got in camp didn’t help,’ she added.
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Ojo Sarah, a graduate of Olabisi Onabanjo University, also struggled with biometric verification, despite stable electricity and working facilities at the registration center.
‘I arrived early in the morning, expecting to be done by noon. However, during my biometric capture, I had to retry about ten times. Even after everything, I still had to wait an hour before my face was finally recognized,’ she recalled.