NYSC Deployment: Tips for Business Growth and Personal Development

Hello and welcome to the show. I've been in touch with a bunch of you listeners of the show who are currently in that uni phase, you know, about to head off into NYSE. For those of you who are not Nigerian, that's the National Youth Service Corps. It's part of the mandatory or let's say paramilitary national service type thing now we have to do in this country. It's part of our own quota in developing the nation. So we all get sent off to different parts of the federation and we get to do things that develop local communities, working in schools,

working in hospitals, working in different communities, apart from the communities of our birth. So for someone like me that was born in Makudin, Benway states, grew up in Abuja and Lagos, I got sent off to Kanu. And so that's the whole idea. And part of the whole idea behind the NYC scheme, the National Youth Service Corps scheme, is that it's supposed to help with national cohesion. You know, if we all float around great, wonderful country,

Nigeria, get to live in different communities, do different things, helping national growth. So it's supposed to be something that supposed to build a greater Nigeria. And it's a scheme that has been running for quite a bit. I can't remember when the scheme started, but I know that my mother went through the scheme. OK. My dad is a decade older, what was a decade older than my mom. So he didn't go through part of the scheme, but my mom did.

So now is that time when folks have received their call up letters and everybody's, you know, being shuffled about. So there are two listeners of the podcast based in Ibadan who have received the call up. One person going to Delta State, excuse me, another person going to Baushi. And then of course, I've also got young cousins who are also, you know, taking that that step. And so I figured I'd make a podcast episode today addressed to those of you who are moving on to this wonderful adventure of the NYSE.

Just a couple of things to tell those of you guys, particularly those of you who have the yearnings to continue your businesses because like I mentioned, the two ladies in particular that listen to the podcast in from the University of Ibadan based in Ibadan. Sorry. Yeah, they're both, both in business as caterers and they're keen to continue in these new communities. And then of course, you know, some of my young cousins who have their own hostels, you know, wherever they are and wondering how to continue where you move off to.

So today's episode is just. Today's episode just goes out to those of you who are going to be deployed soon for your NYSE and those who have been, those who received their deployment on Wednesday. I think that was two days ago. Yeah. So, yeah. So this episode is dedicated to you guys. Now, since most of us were heading off for the NYC thing, typically we're young, ish. You know, you enter university when you're about 1819, spend about 4-5 years.

You know, you come out in your early 20s. So you know, it's that time of life when a lot of us have relationships on our mind. So the first tip I'm going to give to those of you who are heading off for NYSE. Yes, I know that this is a business show, but don't worry, I'll get there eventually. Well, let me just start off with the more juicy parts. So the first tip that I have for you guys running off to NYSE, and this is something that I

tell anyone heading off into this phase, let's be realistic, this is going to be a year of adventure. So let's be honest with ourselves. Marriage not likely. So if you're going into this trying to pursue relationships, you know, no problem. But if you're thinking that you're going there to go and find a husband or a wife, you know, sorry to dash your hopes, but NYSE hookups that end marriage statistically not very high, but it does happen.

Just so you know, you have realistic expectations in that sphere. You know, you get sent off to wonderful, maybe KB for instance, and the village is nice, it's cool, it's rustic. And you're there, you find somebody, you think she's the love of your life and you guys are there for a whole year. And you know, you're wondering what it would be like to start off life with this wonderful girl or this wonderful, wonderful guy.

And just letting you know anyway, so relationships, no problem. Marriage, not likely friends with benefits. I mean, hey, I'm well, adults, I'm not going to judge. I'll just say be responsible about these things, you know, So go into these things deliberately, cautiously, honestly, because some of you have girlfriends back at home and you're thinking, OK, I'm being posted to Lagos, let me go and see what Yoruba girls feel like.

Or you have a secondary school boyfriend from, you know, Anambra and you've never left your village and now you're being posted to Abuja and you're like, oh, let me see what these northern boys feel like. So yeah, so that's it. Be mature about it, be honest about it, and just know what you're getting yourself into. So that's tip #1 so tip #2 community. You guys are leaving your old environment. Like I said, I was born in Makudi, grew up in Abuja and Lagos, and then I was shipped off to Kano.

So community is very practical. But for some reason, people don't think about these sorts of things. So we need to think about the communities that we're heading into. We need to be very practical about this and the reason why I need to be practical is because it's a new environment. So we need some form of grounding and we need some form of community, some form of security, and we're going to have to try and sink new routes for the new year.

If you're going to try and build a community of your own, it's going to be time consuming. There's going to be plenty of trial and error because you guys are coming from different parts of the federation. You're all being thrown together. It's a new city, you don't know who is who. If you want to try and build your own routes, it's going to take a lot of time. So my practical opinion to those of you are heading off for NYC,

especially those of you who have dreams of continuing your business, you know, so let's say you are in Lagos, you are doing wedding photography, you're being posted to Bauchi, you want to continue as a wedding photographer or you've been doing your catering hustle in Ibadan and you're being shipped off to Zamfira and you want to continue with your catering hustle while you're there. It's something I think you should do.

I don't think your cooking hustle or your wedding photography hustle or your computer design hustle or your coding hustle or whatever hustle, I don't think you need to stop because you've been sent off to a different part of the federation. So my own opinion is for those of you who especially are business minded, let's get in there quickly. Let's get grounded in the community and then let's get going. So my practical advice for those of you who are not Nigerian, we in Nigeria, we live in a secular state, but yes, the religious instinct or the religious sentiment or the religious,

whatever it is that you want to call it runs high. So my advice to people typically is, you know, talk to your pastor, make sure that there's a parish in the place that you're heading to and just go in and don't waste time. Just slot yourself into that community and then just continue. I know you all want to go and start off and it's a brave new world and build our own communities and then break free and everything. But look, you have a business to build.

You have a hustle to continue. So just get in there. The community is already there. Slot yourself in and then just continue. So talk to your pastor or talk to your imam. Is there a parish there? Or is there another church or another mosque or whatever that has local affiliations to where you are now? Just get there, look for a community that is close to the community that you had at home, slot yourself in and then continue.

If you're going to use NYSE about this whole adventure thing and no what not, then yeah, sure, no problem. Go spread your wings, explore, you know, whatever. But if you have a hustle to continue, please just get there, find the community, slot yourself in, continue with life. Of course, yes, we'll have your adventure. So from the business angle, my advice, continue with the business hustle as you're heading off for NYSE.

The reason why I come up with this whole, I continue with this whole community angle is because people love to support enterprising youth. So if you are based in Abuja and you've been shipped off to Lagos and you quickly blend in with your local church community, people are going to love to support this enterprising young man who is out of state, a member of the community, out of state, but he's going to be with us for a whole year and he wants to be in and around and help church and things like that.

People are people love to support an enterprising youth. I mean the same thing for you girls as well, like the ladies in the battle. And I keep telling them, hook up this whole church thing because you get to the community, you know, you're nice, you're friendly, you're helpful around church, everybody likes you, people want to support you. This is where you're going to get your first set of customers, your first set of referrals, the support that you need, I mean,

all kinds of stuff. So I mean, I'm talking about these things from a from a purely practical standpoint, if you can put it that way. So continue the hostel, get to this new place, look for the community, slot yourself in and just continue as normal. People love to support enterprising youth. Take advantage of that. So if you're a wedding photographer, this is the scope. If you're a software developer, it's still the scope because you have been sent to Zamfara and Zamfara sounds like it's in the middle of the Sahara Desert.

It's not by the way, but I'm just saying that when you grow up in Lagos, people hear Zamfara and they think Sahara Desert, but you know, it's not that far. So the fact that you've been sent to Zamfire doesn't mean that your career as a software developer or your business as a software developer has to die. Or the fact that you're in a new environment doesn't mean that your business as an online caterer has to die. So inject yourself into these communities and quickly let people know who you are, quickly let people know what you do and quickly let people know that you would appreciate their support in you continuing their hustle.

So take advantage of this whole NYC sympathy, sympathy. I mean, milk it for all it's worth. I believe me. It is there because I'm surprised that in Kano, I was getting ready to head off to my place for primary assignment and I was in my uniform and an Okada guy stopped and I hopped on, negotiated, got to my place and I wanted to pay him my horse. Like, Oh no, no, no, no, no. And you know, for him, he was doing his charity because he was doing a, a copper, an act of kindness or an act of charity or an act of something, you know, I

don't know what it is, but I'm not saying that I've been a recipient of some of these things, whether it's Okada drivers or other people who just wanted to help out a young lawyer like, oh, oh, barrister, you know, do like this, do like this, come here, take this. You know, so I've been a recipient and I'm just saying take advantage of it. So I guess it's somewhere. What I'm trying to say is that this NYC year doesn't have to be a waste because some people think that NYC is just a waste and some people think of NYC as a paid vacation.

So do not waste your NYC year. Some people use the NYC year to try and cure the congolitis. And if you want to cure your congy, that's not a problem. I'm just saying that there are greater things to life than all those sorts of things. So don't waste your year, you can do a whole lot better, excuse me, than make this a paid one year vacation, even though the pay is not fantastic, especially now that we're dealing with hyperinflation in Nigeria.

So whether you're being sent to Bauchi or being sent to Maiduguri or Zamfara, or if you're from Zamfara, you're being sent to Lagos or whatever, use this time to build transferable skills. If you've been attached to a school, I know that's sort of like suicide, especially for those of us who did highly cerebral stuff. You know, you can imagine going through medical school and blah, blah, blah, or law school and then you're attached to a primary school that's a year of primary service.

I know it sounds like you know, it's, it's, it's beneath you, but this is the time to build transferable skills. So go in, do your best, transfer how you can function in the primary school, transfer how you can function in the community. Try and see how you can exercise leadership skills, leadership skills, problem solving skills, what else? Just try and build transferable skills basically. And for those of you who still have your hustle, try and continue the hustle as well.

So you're supposed to buy at your place for primary assignment. You've been assigned to the primary school. By all means, make sure you teach at the primary school, but nothing says that you can't teach at the primary school during the day and then after school closes by two, you grade your papers until 4. Nothing says that you can't continue your baking practice from 5:00 until 8:00. So nothing says you can't continue your catering practice or your wedding photography practice.

You know there's nothing. As far as I know, there are no rules. Well, for those of you who are versed in these sorts of things and if the rules have changed, please let me know, right. So I don't give bad people advice so they don't do anything illegal. But the best I know, yeah, you can serve in your primary school, in the hospital where you've been posted, but nothing stops you from going out and still continue your hustle.

So, yeah, that's I guess that's just some of all the things I've been trying to say today. So congratulations for those of you who were deployed on Wednesday and for those of you who are going to receive your deployment letters soon. I wish you guys safe travels. And I hope that the NYC year is going to be a time of growth, a time of development, a time of adventure. And for those of you who continue who decide to continue to grow your businesses, whether it turns out good or whether it turns out bad, whether you make customers or you don't make any customers, you're still going to benefit from, you're still going to benefit from it.

Coming into a new environment, knowing nobody and trying to raise customers from scratch, trying to raise a book of business from scratch, you're definitely going to benefit from the experience. So it's my prayer that everything goes well with you guys. And back to the relationship thing, because people go through this and come out with unnecessary heartbreak. Just be open, just be honest, be adults about the whole thing.

So if you're leaving Orca, maybe Orca is where you grew up, you've never left your small town before, you're heading to Lagos, You think it's all exciting and everything be I put it, just be wise. Let me put it this way, I'm not saying, I'm not saying don't go and have your adventure and see what Lagos boys are like, you know, but just be wise. And for the young boy too, who has the girlfriend back in the village and you're thinking you want to explore and everything like that, you know, just be wise.

Well, first of all, I appreciate what it is that you have back home because the fact that this person is your primary school boyfriend or your secondary school girlfriend doesn't mean that it's not a relationship that can't blossom or can't carry you through into other things in life. But anyway, there's no relationship podcast. But you guys got the business, Jisha. So just continue hostel, continue your business, build transferable skills.

And yeah, that's all. So I'll catch you guys at the next episode. Connect with me on WhatsApp. The phone number is 080 64662140. The country code is +234. For those of you who are not Nigerian, then connect me on LinkedIn. The name to look for is Tavishima Agede. I'm the host of the show. You can confirm the spelling of my name from the link. We're currently listening to this podcast, so thanks for the time and attention.

I'll catch you guys at the next episode.