I stopped being a Corper today.

And as weird as it may sound, I think I’ll actually miss being a Corper. Hear me out. Because if you had asked me at the beginning of this whole thing whether I would ever say that, I probably would have laughed in your face.

The Journey to Camp: Wanting the North and Seeing Shege

Let’s start from the beginning. I had mixed feelings about going to NYSC camp. My parents convinced me to go and “do it once and for all,” but I was very sure of one thing: I did not want to camp in the South West. I wanted the North.

My parents didn’t like that idea because of the insecurity situation, so I refused to do a direct posting. Instead, I prayed very hard to be posted to the North with plans of eventually relocating back to Lagos.

Registration itself? Shege. I saw shege during registration. And yes, I now have an ugly picture on my portal… which is proudly on my certificate too. Fantastic.

But God actually answered my prayer: Nasarawa to be precise. Then came the question of how to get there. I was excited about going on a road trip, but my parents won that argument too. So much for my grand adventure.

Camp Life: Amazing Girls, Weirdos, and Escaping the Media Team

Despite everything, camp ended up being amazing because of the people I met. My girls. We would argue, we would disagree, but at the end of the day, we always had each other’s backs. According to Aijay, I was “allergic to love” in camp.

I was the girl who was always recording everything, but did I join the official media team? Absolutely not. I told them I was the media person for my platoon, which was just my very convenient excuse to escape all the media-team shenanigans. Looking back, it’s hilarious because I was already documenting everything, I just didn’t want the actual responsibility.

You  can watch my NYSC series HERE

Of course, camp had its weirdos too. There were two girls I was close to who turned out to be too weird for my liking, so I stopped talking to them. I assumed that was the end of the story until I saw one of them again in September. I was fully prepared to ignore her, but unfortunately, I was with my parents. She opened her mouth and said, “You!” as if we were besties. Because my dad loves meeting my friends, I had to smile, play along, and introduce her to my parents. Sometimes you simply have to choose peace.

Post-Camp Realities: Ibadan, Iseyin, and First-Class Wahala

After camp, my relocation to Lagos didn’t work out. Instead, I was posted to Ibadan, and let me tell you, I hated Ibadan. But I didn’t have a choice.

Then I was posted to Iseyin. My uncle wasn’t having it at all. According to him, I shouldn’t “waste my potential” as a first-class graduate. Next thing I knew, he had worked out my relocation back to The Polytechnic Ibadan. Wahala for first-class graduate. Mind you, my friend, and I tried doing the relocation ourselves, and we were both scammed of 25k each, my head will judge that man wherever he is.

I was angry. I was sad. I didn’t want to move to Ibadan, but I had no choice and had to make it work. Plus, my boss at my PPA wasn’t all that either, story for another day!

The Day I Went Bald and the Kindness of Strangers

For all the frustrating moments, there are things I will genuinely miss. On February 11, 2026, I had an accident on my way back to Lagos. Thankfully, the tanker involved wasn’t speeding, the driver actually slowed down and protected our bus until it stopped. We were stranded on the road, completely stranded. Then a car was passing, and the man stopped to carry me all the way to Oshodi just because I was wearing my my Khaki, without collecting a dime.

Sir, if you ever get to see this, thank you so much.

Interestingly, that was the exact day I went bald. I guess it was either from the shock or my subconscious way of telling myself it was time to start life all over again.

The Little Perks of Wearing Khaki

You also can’t discount the daily perks of being a Corper:

1. People greeting me on the road: Old and young, simply because I’m a Corper. I genuinely enjoyed that when it came from the right people.

2. People paying my transport fare: Especially those daddies inside the Marwa!

3. Countless free rides: Whenever I was in my khaki, I always ended up having interesting conversations, even with passengers who had kids in the car asking the most unhinged questions.

4. Curious children: Kids stopping me on the road just to ask funny and weird questions because they were fascinated by the khaki.

5. My bike men at Ojoo: They knew I was a Corper and would often carry me for less than the actual price. Small things, but they made life easier.

6. The Egbon Adugbo at Ojoo: They literally turned me to their Junior sister especially when my phone was stolen, and since then I became their Aburo 😂

What I’ll Miss the Most: My Students and My Friend

Out of everything, my students, and my friend are the only thing I’ll truly miss at my PPA.

They felt safe with me. They literally told me everything. I was more of a big sister to them than a lecturer, and I loved that so much. And although that gap between a polytechnic and a university experience will always be there, in short words, they are the ones living the exact reality of the campus life we only watch in Yoruba movies. 😂

The Best Gift My PPA Gave Me

Sometimes, the best people come into your life in the most unexpected ways.

We went to the same school, studied the same course, and she graduated a year before me. Before NYSC brought us together again, ours was simply a customer-and-seller relationship. I never imagined we’d become friends the way we did.

But meeting her again at my PPA turned out to be one of the best things that happened to me in Ibadan.

She made my NYSC year so much more fun. She took care of me, made my videos, showed up for me in ways I will never forget, and became someone I could genuinely count on.

When my phone was stolen, she came through for me in a big way. We shared her phone just so I could stay online until I got a temporary one. It might sound like a small thing, but when you’ve lost your phone and all your pictures and videos, having someone who makes sure you don’t feel completely disconnected means so much.

She was there for me in Ibadan, and looking back, I can honestly say she was Godsent.

NYSC gave me a lot of unexpected experiences, but one of the best gifts it gave me was this friendship.

I’m so grateful that what started as a simple customer-and-seller relationship became a friendship I’ll always cherish. ❤️

The Sad Parts: House Hunting and Losing My Phone

NYSC in Ibadan came with its own special wahala, and house hunting was one of them.

• Ridiculous house prices.
• Agents and their attitudes.
• Random extra charges.
• Price hikes AFTER we’d already agreed.

It was stressful, frustrating, and honestly, exhausting. Ibadan agents are a different breed. 😭

But that wasn’t the end of it.

May 26, 2026: The Day My Phone Was Stolen

As if everything else wasn’t enough, my phone was stolen on May 26, 2026.

And it wasn’t just about losing a phone. I lost my pictures, videos, and so many memories I’d captured along the way. Having to start over with none of those memories on my device was painful, especially as someone who creates content and records so much of her life.

It was one of those moments that reminded me how quickly things can change. I had to figure things out, find a temporary phone, and slowly get back to creating again.

Thankfully, I wasn’t completely alone through it all. One of the best people NYSC brought into my life showed up for me in ways I’ll always appreciate.

Looking back, there were genuinely difficult moments during my service year. But alongside the frustration, there were also people who made things easier, reminded me I wasn’t alone, and gave me reasons to be grateful.

NYSC wasn’t perfect, but even in the difficult moments, I found things worth remembering.

 

Goodbye, Corper Aduni

NYSC isn’t all rosy and fun. But I promised myself to project positivity this year and nothing else.

I’ll tell you one thing for sure: NYSC camp is the best experience, provided you meet the right people. You might not stay in touch with everyone or get to meet them again, but the memories stay forever.

Today, I stopped being a Corper. And somehow, I think I’ll actually miss it.

Goodbye, Corper Aduni. 🥹❤️