As soon as you have known your NYSC posting through your call up letter and you are heading over to NYSC Camp to heed the Clarion Call? There are lot of important things you have to take along with you, on your way to NYSC orientation camp. We have compiled a list of essential things you need to take with you to camp aka “NYSC camp requirements” also Included are some life-saving TIPS!
As you prepare for the orientation camp which you have been deployed to, these are compulsory and you will not be allowed into any NYSC Camp if you don’t have them with you.
PART 1:
Official NYSC Camp Registration Requirements
CALL UP LETTER: This is a vital part of camp registration and it’s the only evidence that you are a prospective corps member (colloq. Corper, or Otondo) and you are not impersonating anyone. They will collect it from you and not return it, so don’t panic when this happens. You are not allowed to forget this under any circumstance, even if you forget your luggage never forget this.
Hack1: If you happen to choose the print online @ N3000 option then ensure the café has laser printers and not inkjet. Why? Because documents printed with inkjet are more susceptible to water/moisture damage. Just to be on a safer side because you never can tell what may happen on the road or in camp. You are advised to do this with any document you intend to keep for a very long time. If you can’t find a laser printer, then you can use anyone.
Hack2: NO MATTER WHAT YOU DO, NEVER LAMINATE YOUR CALL UP LETTER! Can we emphasize its importance any better? Protect it like it’s your life cos it actually is, for the meantime. You will most likely be sent back if you forget yours. If you mistakenly laminate yours, really your fate is shaky; you may be sent back or pardoned after hours/days of begging. In order to avoid all these unnecessary stress, ensure that you make enough copies of this letter before heading to NYSC camp.
Hack3: Remember you can REPRINT your Call-Up letter online if selected the print online (N3,000) option. There will most probably be persons running cafes in Camp where you can print copies of your call-up. Their prices are very high and beyond reason so brace up. Also you can attached all your required documents (e-copies) to as drafts to your email, this will allow you print them whenever you need them in camp.
Registration Documents: If you’re a foreign graduate, take along the original credentials you uploaded (to the NYSC Portal) for physical verification / evaluation. >> The List here
Green Card: It contains your bio-data. Print and bring along your signed copy.
Final Year Student IDENTITY CARD
Notification/STATEMENT OF RESULT from School
PHOTOCOPIES OF YOUR DOCUMENTS: Now make about 5 copies of every document required. There would be photocopiers in camp at mammy market but trust me, it is double the price and it saves time.
PASSPORT PHOTOGRAPHS: This is very important. Take as many as you can, about 20 in white backgrounds. You would need them for different kinds of registration. e.g, skill acquisition groups, religious groups, sports, redeployment, bank account opening e.t.c
Tip: The forms that will be handed to you are very easy to fill. Attach your passport where necessary and fill them correctly. After your registration, you will be issued with your State Code Number. This will be like your PIN throughout your Service Year.
PART 2:
CERTIFICATES/LICENSES: For Doctors, Pharmacists, Nurses & Lab Scientists, take along your proof of certification. Graduates of Medicine and Pharmacy are expected to have their Certificates of Registration with Nigerian Medical and Dental Council of Nigeria (NMDCN) and Pharmacists Council of Nigeria (PCN) respectively.
STATIONERY: PEN, PAPER, GUM. Yeah this saves time and lots of unnecessary begging.
My CLEAR BAG: You’ll need to put the aforementioned in a portable envelope/bag that can withstand some amount of wear/tear. Hence, My Clear Bag.
Tip: Some camps do seize staplers at the gate during check-in. But do not forget to include pins in your stapler if you still decide to take it along.
You will be given a meal ticket that gives you access to the Camp kitchen for the 21 days. Lose it and you have to feed yourself. Even if you do not intend to use it, you will come across someone who would appreciate the kind gesture.
Tip: After getting your NYSC State Code Number (which you have to wear around your neck all through camp with your ID card), you can proceed to claim your NYSC Kit and Mattress after which you can proceed to get a Room. After you have gotten your kit and secured a place in the hostels, you can settle down and you are good to go to start the Military parades.
Now, Your NYSC kit should contain 1 NYSC Crested Vest, A pair of Khaki Trousers, Cap and Jacket, 2 White T-shirts, 2 Pairs of Knickers, 2 pairs of green-stripped Stockings, A Pair of Orange Jungle Boots and One Pair of White Converse. A “Belt” is also included.
PART 3:
DAILY NEEDS – NYSC Camp Requirements:
11. ROUND-NECKED WHITE T-SHIRTS: This is an essential outfit in camp in fact in most camps this is the only allowed cloth to be worn throughout your 3 weeks. Even to church, you might not be allowed to wear colored cloths. You would be given 2 pairs of white t-shirts at camp to just fulfill all righteousness which surely would never be your size especially our very slim and small otondo in size . So you can bring extra pairs (6). Why? Because you probably won’t have time to wash during the week after being stressed out from the parades and Man-O-War drills.
Tip: Do not carry more than 2 pairs of colored clothes because you won’t need them.
12. WHITE SHORTS: I beg you please do bring yours. you would also be given 2 pairs of shorts which are really poor in material. They tear easily and it can be annoying. So my dear Otondos bring like 4 pairs of shorts. Trust me also you won’t like to wash every day, so bring enough to last you like 3 days so that you won’t be stranded.
13. PLAIN WHITE SNEAKERS/TENNIS SHOES: This is a very important outfit. You would also be given an ugly pair of low quality white tennis shoes customized for NYSC. It’s either you are not given your size although you can find someone with your size and swap. But after the first wash it starts tearing. So just buy yours (white). They also sell this in camp, so in case you are not able to get you could buy in camp just carry extra cash for that because the price would be higher – as with everything in Mammy – because they know you have no choice than to buy. Now, If you happen to be in camp during the rainy season (Batch ‘B’ & ‘C’), get white rubber sneakers/boots especially if you’re posted to the Southern part of the country (esp. the South South. Read, Bayelsa). The parade fields/mammy market will be messed up after the rains. You will get this in camp.
14. WHITE SOCKS: Just get extra pairs.
15. PADLOCKS: [BRING or BUY from Mammy] Please lock your boxes and bags to avoid regrets and tears. I know someone who lost more than 5 items including his two phones – like he’s the only one in camp.
16. WAIST POUCH: /Fanny pack/Bum bag (or for the more fashion-conscious, a cross-body purse). The bum bags are more popular because they won’t bang against you when you’re active and your hands are free to do whatever. You need it to carry your money, phone, small valuables, pens, etc around with you at all times. You should sleep with it too.
17. MOSQUITO TREATED NET: You would do not want to fall sick in camp from malaria and miss out on the fun. Just bring yours. Also bring ropes you would use to hang it. The nets usually have these. It can be also used as a room to protect your box and properties from thieves and also from some insects and ants.
18. BASIC DRUGS: Like paracetamol, medicine for your allergies, menstrual pain relief drug, nausea relief drugs, antibiotics e.t.c. The camp clinic is sometimes inadequately stocked with drugs so help yourself. True story – A corper once donated at least a million Naira worth of medicine to the Lagos State NYSC camp clinic, and barely a few days later, they claimed to have run out of medicine.
19. ANTISEPTIC/DISINFECTANTS: Such as Dettol etc. This is very, very essential. Firstly the bathrooms can be very annoying and dirty and more importantly, you would not like to have infection from camp. Bad idea. Depending on your camp, the water can be dirty. Most people always have reaction to it.
20. DETERGENT: [BUY from Mammy.] Again, this reduces the amount of load you’re bringing into camp. However, if you’re lucky the mammy market will have vendors offering laundry services! It costs about N50 per item, N100 for your khaki trousers or jacket, extra N50 if you want your items pressed although cost will vary across camps.
Tip: The Bucket: Buy this in Mammy. Don’t stress yourself taking one to Camp, which you’re probably going to leave behind after 3 weeks. Toiletries: Toilet Paper, Sanitary Pad, soap dish etc. BUY in Mammy.
21. TOWELS
22. A PAIR OF SLIPPERS: [BRING or BUY]
23. Bed sheets, Pillow Cases and A Pillow. You could also get pillow from mammy market to reduce load.
Tip: Mattresses will be provided by NYSC. It is best to “double up” with the mattresses, as they are about 1 to 2 inches thick. Lol.
24. HANDKERCHIEF. There will be BUCKETS of sweating. Do yourself a favor.
25. FLASK, BOWL AND CUP: [BRING or BUY] For eating. Important for those who intend on eating Camp food.
Tip: You will be fed three times a day in camp but I must not lie to you, the food there is nothing to write home about. They can be nice on few occasions like Sundays, but most days, they are poor. If you are someone who loves to eat good food, make provisions for your own food. You should get some fast foods along, some breakfast cereals and beverages. You should also hold extra cash to eat at the Mammy market. You will get good meals there.
26. BEVERAGE: The camp will supply you with “Tea-water” or ‘brown-water’ so you can make tea when you need to!
27. FLASHLIGHT OR RECHARGEABLE LAMPS: [BRING] Most camps, do not give light except at a specific time of the day. It’s very essential especially at night when you need to use the bathroom, early in the morning when preparing for morning drills and meditations and at night in case you need to do anything. At the mammy market, there is always light till they close, usually 10pm except on days like the Camp Fire Night where they stay open till, say, 3am depending on how lenient your camp commander is. You can charge your lamps there for a little fee.
28. Some form of entertainment: Novels – for those who get bored easily, please take a few. And for guys, games on your phone would do or chess. Your music player and headphones for audiophiles.
29. Your Ray-Ban sunglasses for the sun. And if you can’t afford that, get a Ray-Bon.
30. Get extra phone batter(ies) and extra Network SIMs. Some networks are not available at some camps as they’re usually in remote locations, far from town centres. Once you get your call-up letter, you can find out (from serving corpers or like us of facebook) which network has the best reception at your destination camp. If you need data access, find out if that available also. Instagrammers and YouTubers, if you get EDGE thank your stars. But there has been some improvement as network providers now know the volume of traffic NYSC camps generate.
31. CASH: Extremely important. You would need about N20,000 minus transport to and fro camp. Then between N30,000 – N40,000 to be ‘just’ comfortable. For those that can manage, say about N15,000. There are lots of things that take up money. Things like food (for those who don’t intend eating from the camp kitchen), energy drinks, recharge cards, charging of electronic devices, laundry, pleasures e.t.c.
32. ATM Card: You ‘normally’ wont be allowed to leave camp. So do not be stranded, trust me it’s not a good idea. Just budget N1,000 per day. You should take your ATM card along, in case. (This might sound counter-intuitive since there might not be any ATM in your camp and you are not allowed to leave camp. But figure it out…) You can keep your extra cash with the Accounts Department (as the case was in my camp) while some shops offer POS services, you still have access to extra cash whenever you need it.
If you have a camera you can take it along because you will want to snap a lot of scenes. If you have a Smartphone with great camera, that’s good for you because you can easily take and share photos on social networks instantly.
Tip: If you don’t have any of those, you will have to pay some guys on camp who do that as business to follow you around and snap you wherever you go. They might charge up to N2,000 for the duration of the camping. They should give you all your photos and videos in DVDs at the end of Camping. Or you could wait till the last day of leaving camp and snap at a cheaper rate.
That’s all you need to take to NYSC camp!. Waaaait. Where are you going? Now, don’t be selfish. You have to share this with your friends, don’t you? Click the share buttons below. Is there any item we left out of the list? Let us know.
What of the unnecessary things people take to camp? Read this post >> Unnecessary Things People Take To NYSC Camp
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