First day experience in NYSC camp – what to expect

The key to a wonderful NYSC camp experience is adequate preparations. Not knowing exactly what to prepare for could ruin your camp experience. In this post, I will show you what your first day experience in NYSC camp will be like and what to expect.

This information is crucial for your survival in the NYSC Orientation camp.

Please, get used to be called ‘otondo’.

If anyone calls you ‘otondo’, answer the person because that is your new name.

Don’t ask me for the meaning of the name because I don’t know, perhaps you can ask soldiers that invented the name.

For now, let’s go into the main topic, “first day experience in NYSC camp, and what to expect”.

To make camp life easier and smooth for you, I had to squeez out time to write this piece of work.

We shall begin by looking at the 4 cardinal points of NYSC.

The Four (4) Cardinal Points of NYSC

It’s important to understand that NYSC as a scheme has four(4) Cardinal Points;

1. The Orientation Camp Exercise
2. The Place of Primary Assignment (PPA)
3. The Community Development Service (CDS), and
4. The Passing Out Parade (PPA)

The above are the four (4) cardinal points of National Youth Service Corps (NYSC).

Every Corps member must pass through the NYSC cardinal points before they will be awarded the NYSC Discharge Certificate.

However, our topic revolves around the first cardinal point which is the NYSC orientation camp.

Let’s go there!

Your journey to the NYSC orientation camp starts after receiving your NYSC Call-up letter.

In your call-up letter, the state you are posted, Orientation camp address, date to report to camp and other important information will be stated.

You’ll spend 21 days in the NYSC camp. After the 21 days in camp, you will be posted to a Place of Primary Assignment (2nd cardinal point).

In the NYSC orientation camp, you will meet soldiers and other camp officials, as well as your fellow corps members from different tribes in Nigeria.

After training you in camp, soldiers will return to barracks, NYSC officials to their offices and you (otondo) to your Places of Primary Assignment (PPA).

Best Time To Report To Camp

Some people believe that it is better to report to camp on the 2nd or 3rd day after the camp official opening date with the view that it will reduce stress.

I don’t by the idea at all. Reporting late could deprive you of many opportunities, and could cause emotional trauma.

Moreover, camp life is about the survival of the fittest. Also, there used to be good reservations for early birds.

Speaking from my own camp experience, I arrived to camp a day before the camp was official opened.

It helped me to secure good hostel, bunk and mattress.

The following day which is the official day the camp would open. I woke up early, dressed up and went straight to the physical verification and registration point.

My registrations were smooth and seamless because I prepared for it.

My advice is for you to go to camp a day before the official camp opening date, especially if you are posted to far a place.

NYSC Camp experiences and what to expect.

Here comes our main topic. To make it easier and simple, I will break it in parts.

PART ONE

Arriving At the NYSC Camp

Preliminary verification starts right at the NYSC entrance gate.

At the entrance gate, your NYSC Call-up letter will serve as your ‘gate entry pass’.

After checking your call-up letter, you will be directed to a police post where they will check your luggage.

After they cleared at the gate, they will give you a book to write down your name, and a unique number.

The number is very important as that would be used for subsequent verification.

Note: Always have your documents ready and handy at every registration point as to avoid embarrassment.

PART TWO

Accommodation stand

So, after being cleared and given a tag number, you are to proceed to a point where you would given a hostel and bed space.

At the accommodation stand, you will provide the number you collected at the entrance gate.

A book would be given to you to write your name. The serial number corresponding to your name is your bunk number, copy it out.

At this point, you would be directed to a room to pick up a mattress.

After picking up a mattress, take the mattress to the corresponding bunk.

If you fight another person over a bunk, that book you wrote your name at the accommodation stand will be used to determine the real owner of the bunk.

Note: Do not expect comfort in the NYSC camp. Almost all the available mattresses are too dirty, flat and some are even bedbugs infested.

Some mattresses in the NYSC camp are up to 30 years, much older than you, can you imagine!

PART THREE

Physical Registration

After getting accommodation, the next thing is registration and documentation.

Make sure that all the documents needed in camp are intact to avoid embarrassment.

The officials will check the original of your Statement of results and other required documents.

After registration, meal ticket will be given to you. Make sure you don’t loss your meal ticket because there is no replacement.

NYSC will feed you three times per day; morning, afternoon, night.

Also, a very big tag number that will serve as your identity through your stay in camp will be given to you.

They will make it to look like ID card. You are mandated to always wear the tag around your neck every time even while sleeping.

The last digit on the tag indicates your platoon. i.e. 3045, 0569, 6340 etc, indicates platoon 5, platoon 9 and platoon 10, respectively.

If the last digit is “0”, it’s platoon 10.

PART FOUR

Kit collection and platoon registration

After registration, they will assign a platoon for you (tag number indicates your plattoon as explained above).

Use the last digit of your tag to identify your platoon.

So, after knowing your platoon, head straight to your platoon stand for platoon registration and collection of your kits.

This can be the most annoying stage as you are likely to be given over size. The shoes, khaki etc can be bigger or smaller than you.

But if you register on time, you will have more chances of getting your size. I guess that is one of the advantages of coming to camp early.

PART FIVE

Bank Account Opening

Every Corps members must open a new bank account in the NYSC orientation camp for the payment of NYSC allowance.

So, make sure you go to camp with your BVN because it’s required.

Also your name on BVN should correspond to your name on your NYSC documents.

After opening account, put on your NYSC kit immediately and run to the parade ground.

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