By: Ajayi Taiwo Adeola
NYSC graduates from the COVID-19 era are arguably the most deprived set of Nigerian youth in recent history. Not because they lacked education or ambition — but because time, and a broken system, worked against them.
They were students when the world shut down. The COVID-19 pandemic halted their education, and ASUU strikes extended the silence. What was meant to be a 4-year course turned into 6. By the time they graduated and completed their NYSC, most were already 25 or older — a detail that now disqualifies them from many job opportunities.
Everything Was Going Well… Until It Wasn’t
Most of these students were in their third or final year. They had plans — finish school, go for NYSC, start applying for jobs, maybe begin a master’s program. But those plans vanished overnight when COVID-19 hit.
Campuses shut down. Lectures stopped. ASUU strikes dragged on for months. What was meant to be a 4-year course quietly stretched into 5, then 6.
No one warned them it would take that long. And even if they had been warned, what could they have done?
When Time Becomes the Enemy
By the time they finally graduated, many of them were already 25 or older. And after completing NYSC — which added another year — they stepped into the labour market, full of hope.
But what they met wasn’t opportunity. It was rejection. Again and again.
Not because they weren’t smart. Not because they didn’t meet the academic requirements. But because of one line tucked into so many job applications:
“Applicants must not be older than 24 or 25 years old.”
It didn’t matter that their education had been delayed by a global pandemic and nationwide strikes. The system didn’t care. They had aged out of eligibility — without ever being given a real chance.
Too Old for Jobs They Were Just Ready For
It’s a bitter pill to swallow. You do everything right. You survive the chaos. You finally graduate. You serve your country through NYSC.
And then the door shuts in your face.
How do you explain to someone that you’re already obsolete at 26 — not because you failed, but because the world around you collapsed?
These are real stories. Real lives. And sadly, many are now stuck — drifting between online applications, unpaid internships, and short-term gigs that offer no real future.
Why Don’t We Talk About Age Enough?
In schools, we teach students how to write essays, pass JAMB, and maybe get a scholarship. But what we don’t teach them is how age quietly shapes the path ahead.
Age is not just a number — not in the Nigerian job market.
Many employers still cling to age limits for graduate roles, especially in the banking, oil and gas, and corporate sectors. And when a student’s graduation is delayed due to reasons beyond their control, no one adjusts that age requirement.
No one stops to ask why they’re 26 and applying for a graduate trainee role. No one considers that they were 21 when they should’ve finished school — and life just got in the way.
So What Can Be Done?
It’s time to start having honest conversations:
Employers need to understand that this group of graduates is not “late” — they were delayed. A little flexibility won’t lower standards; it’ll just create fairness.
Career talks in schools should include age implications — not to scare students, but to help them plan better. If you attend a public university, you deserve to know what you’re up against.
The government and education authorities must stop turning a blind eye. If our public institutions regularly delay students, then policies — including job eligibility — must evolve.
Parents and mentors need to offer more emotional support. These graduates are carrying a lot — lost years, pressure, rejection — and silence makes it worse.
These NYSC Graduates Deserve Grace
They are not lazy. They are not entitled. They are not the reason things went wrong.
They are simply people who did their best with what they were given. And for two years, they were given nothing but uncertainty.
So before we judge them, or shut the door with another “age limit” clause, maybe we should ask ourselves:
If the pandemic had happened when we were in their shoes, how would our lives have turned out?
They deserve more than pity. They deserve understanding. And more than anything, they deserve a fighting chance.
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