Graduates Reject NYSC Postings to North, Southeast Over Insecurity, Opt for Costly ‘Direct Posting’

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29/09/25 • 352 Pogledi • 0 Udio • Objavljeno u ostalo

Growing insecurity across Nigeria is fueling resistance among fresh graduates to serve in volatile regions under the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) scheme, with many turning to “direct posting” — an illegal but thriving practice that allows corps members to influence their postings by paying middlemen.

Promise (not real name), a graduate of the University of Ilorin, recalled embarking on a 26-hour journey to Bauchi State earlier this year with fear in his heart. “I feared serving in the North because of insecurity. I felt so bad when the direct posting failed,” he said, recounting the anxiety that gripped him at every checkpoint.

Fear in the North and Southeast

The North remains one of the hardest-hit regions by terrorism, banditry, and farmer-herder clashes. According to Amnesty International, over 10,000 people have been killed in central and northern Nigeria since President Bola Tinubu assumed office, with more than 60,000 killed in the preceding decade.

The Southeast, meanwhile, grapples with the sit-at-home orders enforced by the proscribed Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB). Violent enforcement of these orders has crippled economic activities and claimed over 700 lives between 2021 and 2025, according to SBM Intelligence.

Ozioma, a graduate of Mass Communication now serving in Lagos, described her time schooling in the Southeast as “traumatising,” citing weekly violence linked to IPOB’s agitation. “Nowhere is safe, whether in broad daylight or at night,” she said.

The Direct Posting Business

Introduced in 1973 to foster national unity, the NYSC deploys graduates to unfamiliar regions to encourage cultural exchange and development. But insecurity has eroded faith in the scheme. Many prospective corps members now pay up to ₦90,000 — and sometimes more for Lagos or Abuja — to secure “direct postings” or to be redeployed after camp.

Yet the gamble often fails, leaving corps members stranded. “I paid ₦90,000, but it failed, and I was still posted to Bauchi. I was bothered about my safety,” said another corps member.

Service Under Threat

Recent abductions have deepened fears. A 2024 report by the Foundation for Investigative Journalism (FIJ) revealed that at least 83 corps members were kidnapped between 2013 and 2023. In January this year, graduates en route to Rivers State’s orientation camp were abducted in Delta, with kidnappers demanding ₦5 million ransom per victim.

Parents are equally alarmed. The National President of the Parent-Teacher Association (PTA), Alhaji Haruna Danjuma, urged the Federal Government to stop postings to insecure states. “The government should ensure corps member deployment is handled with security consciousness. Where necessary, they should even consider escorts,” he said.

For many families, insecurity makes NYSC less about unity and more about survival. Some, like Olaoluwa Awode, a parent of a soon-to-be graduate, openly admit they would “rather pay for direct posting” to keep their children safe.

NYSC Appeals for Compliance

Despite growing fears, NYSC insists corps members must accept postings. In a 2024 statement, the agency warned against bribery or lobbying, urging graduates to “resist the temptation to seek reposting” and instead contribute meaningfully to host communities.

But as threats of kidnapping, violent agitations, and highway attacks persist, corps members like Promise believe the federal government must review the policy. “It would be great if they could make the scheme more flexible to allow corps members choose where to serve aside their state of origin,” he said.

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