Your National Service Is Over, But Your Journey Has Just Begun – Advice to 2025 Graduates

The 2025 National Service year is finally over. Congratulations to all those who have made it through their year of national service. You have had a lot of learning, challenges, and experiences to help you grow.

As one who has also undergone national service this year, I have a few things to say to my fellow graduates as we make our way to the business world.

To start, do not underrate any opportunity that crosses your path because of its seeming insignificance. When an opportunity presents itself, seize the day, put it to good use and let it help you climb to greater heights. The small opportunity that you may see now could end up forming the base of your most successful venture tomorrow.

When looking for another job, do not confine yourself to considering only the salary that you will earn each month. There is more to gain from that opportunity than just financial gain.

Others will give you the chance to be trained either before or after gaining employment. Others will teach you practical skills which can become a source of income even when you leave the organization. This is important as what you learn will remain with you forever.

No matter where you are, always be honest, dedicated, trusted, and trustworthy. Remember that it takes a lot of effort to gain trust and not much effort to lose it. The attitude, dedication, and professionalism will unlock many doors for you that certificates may never open for you.

If you are among those with practical or vocational courses, now is the time to apply your knowledge. Those who have majored in such subjects as Agriculture, Information Technology, Engineering, Entrepreneurship, or any other practical subject should start applying their knowledge even without getting employed in the government sector.

Start anything, no matter how insignificant that may be. You can start farming, providing computer services, inventing technology, providing professional services, or engaging in any kind of business connected with your course. What is begun insignificantly today may lead to something great tomorrow.

Do not just stay at home as a graduate waiting for employment forever. As you are waiting for government or your dream job, engage yourself in some productive activity. Create your own opportunity rather than waiting for other people to create opportunities for you.

If you do not possess any practical skill, do not allow yourself to be made too big by your university degree to learn one. Be ready to start all over again, learn from others and gain some skills. Education should make you more eager to learn rather than make you less eager to do so.

Lastly, do not forget that the large corporations and successful businesses which you emulate today were at some point the idea, dream or venture of somebody. Somebody took a risk, started from somewhere and stuck to it until he achieved his goal.

You do not have to wait for somebody to employ you to succeed in life. You can equally be an employer, innovator, entrepreneur or a businessman.

As we reach the end of our year in national service, we should not view this as the end of our journey but rather the start of an entirely new one.

Your diploma or your degree is not the end of your schooling; your first employment opportunity is not the end of your goals, and your current status is not the end of your future.

Keep studying, keep working hard, keep your integrity, and never look down on small steps.

Once again, congratulations to all 2025 National Service graduates. Let us hope that the opportunities that lie ahead for us outnumber the obstacles behind us.

The journey is only just beginning!