NYSC Registration: A Frustrating Journey No Graduate Deserves -By Abdulazeez Toheeb Olawale

The long-awaited National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) registration for the 2025 Batch C kicked off on November 4, but what was meant to be an exciting phase for many Nigerian graduates quickly turned into a nightmare of frustration, sleepless nights, and endless waiting.

For me, it all began at dawn on the first day of registration. I barely slept the night before, eager to complete the process and move on to the next stage of my post-graduation journey. I arrived at the cybercafé as early as 5 a.m., only to meet disappointment. The NYSC portal was malfunctioning — pages wouldn’t load, biometric captures kept failing, and error messages became the day’s anthem.

I stayed at the café all day, hoping the system would stabilize. It didn’t. The same story repeated itself the following day — and the day after. Despite multiple attempts, the portal remained unreliable, leaving many of us stranded and frustrated.

As the registration deadline approached, tension rose among prospective corps members. Just two days to the original closing date, the NYSC extended the registration window by another 48 hours. Yet, even with the extension, the same issues persisted — no confirmation links, failed logins, and repeated biometric errors.

I’ve been in the café again since 5 a.m. today, waiting, refreshing, and retrying. Still nothing. I once thought the suffering ended after graduation, but now I realize it was only the beginning.

The NYSC registration process has exposed a deeper problem — the inefficiency of public digital systems in Nigeria. If platforms like Facebook, Instagram, or X can manage billions of users seamlessly, why can’t our national platforms handle a few million? Why should a supposedly modern registration process feel like a punishment for young Nigerians who only want to serve their nation?

Every year, billions of naira are reportedly budgeted for digital infrastructure, yet the reality on the ground remains a cycle of frustration and disappointment. We talk about digital advancement and youth empowerment, but how can we achieve that when simple systems like the NYSC portal keep failing?

The time has come for the authorities to stop making excuses and start prioritizing effective systems. Graduates deserve better — we deserve a process that reflects the future we were promised, not one that breaks us before service even begins.