The Reality of CDS

Community Development Service (CDS) is a core part of NYSC. Once a week, you leave your PPA, wear your NYSC uniform, and attend a meeting. For many, it’s just a time to gossip and pay dues.

But CDS can be more than that if you are intentional. Here is how to handle it:

  • Pay Your Dues: Don’t fight with the executives over N500. Just pay the dues. If you don’t, they will not clear you at the end of the year, and you will delay your certificate.
  • Participate in Group Projects: When your group wants to paint a school or sensitize the market, show up. It’s a good way to bond and it actually helps the community.
  • Do a Personal Project: This is the cheat code. If you want a state award or even automatic employment, execute a personal CDS project (e.g., building a borehole or renovating a clinic). You must get approval from the NYSC secretariat first.

Networking at CDS

CDS is the best place to network. You will meet corpers from different PPAs. Some might be working at the bank you want to join. Some might have side hustles they need partners for.

Don’t just sit in the back pressing your phone. Talk to people. The connections you make during CDS might be the ones that secure your first real job after POP.