Why Corps Members Serving in Rural Schools Need More Support

When 25-year-old Blessing Matthew received her NYSC posting letter to a rural village in Zamfara State, she knew it would be tough. However, nothing could have prepared her for the reality she met.

“No electricity, no proper accommodation, and only three teachers handling over 100 pupils,” she said in a tired voice. “I had to live with a local family and walk two kilometres every day to the school.”

Blessing is one of thousands of corps members posted annually to teach in remote, underserved communities across Nigeria. While their presence helps fill the massive gap in the education sector, especially in the North, many of them are doing so under harsh and dangerous conditions.

In most rural Northern communities, insecurity is a daily fear. From bandit attacks to kidnappings, corps members live in constant anxiety. “There was a day we had to hide in the bush because we heard gunshots close by,” said Ibrahim Yusuf, serving in a village near Birnin Gwari in Kaduna. “We risk our lives here, yet our welfare is ignored.”

Despite these challenges, many rural schools would have shut down if not for the efforts of NYSC members. With a shortage of qualified teachers, corps members often take up to six subjects across multiple classes. In some cases, they double as guidance counsellors, administrators, and even first-aid providers.

Mrs. Hadiza Bature, a parent in a remote community in Katsina, expressed profound gratitude: “Our children are learning Today because of NYSC teachers. However, they need support. How can someone teach well when they sleep hungry or are afraid of being attacked?”

However, despite their sacrifice, welfare support is minimal. Most rural schools cannot provide accommodation. Some corps members live in abandoned classrooms or makeshift huts made of mud. Transportation is another issue, with many having to walk long distances or hitch dangerous rides. Monthly stipends from host employers are often unpaid, delayed, or non-existent.

The National Youth Service Corps has acknowledged this problem, and at a recent workshop in Kogi State, the NYSC State Coordinator, Mr Femi Osungbohun, appealed to employers to create more conducive environments. “They deserve better,” he said, urging stakeholders to provide basic amenities like housing and allowances.

Experts believe more must be done. Education analyst Dr Simisola Adewale told Sunday Punch that “deploying young graduates to high-risk areas without a solid welfare and security plan is unacceptable. Government must wake up to its responsibility.”

She suggests that the federal and state governments should establish a Rural Corps Support Fund to cater to those in significantly underserved zones. This should include hazard allowance, better accommodation, and improved security arrangements.

It is also time for NYSC to revive its Best Employer of the Year award, as suggested by retired Deputy Director Pastor Oladele Jacob. Recognising employers who treat corps members well could inspire others to do the same.

For now, young Nigerians like Blessing continue to hold the line in forgotten schools. “We came to serve,” she said, “but we also deserve to be safe, respected, and supported.”

As Nigeria marks yet another year of the NYSC scheme, the big question remains: Who is serving whom?