No one knows about how I was scammed during my time as a National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) member, serving a mandatory year-long service to Nigeria after an undergraduate degree. I have not shared it with anyone because it is not only embarrassing but also makes me appear to be trying to boycott the system. As much as systems don’t work in Nigeria, I always prefer to go through the long process of waiting and waiting rather than pay to get ahead. I am, however, sharing now because my experience reflects the entire structure of systems and why, for a long time, it might not change.

From Osun State, I was posted to Akwa Ibom for camp, where, together with other corps members, I would spend two weeks parading and connecting with others from different parts of the country. Although NYSC has the relocation option to transfer to any other state apart from the state you studied in and your state of origin, applying for relocation doesn’t guarantee approval. You could apply to be relocated to Lagos and find a different state on your portal. But, like many things in Nigeria, if you know someone who knows someone in the system, you could pay to get your relocation approved. That was what I wanted to do.

After applying for the in-camp relocation, I decided to also pay a person who claimed they could get it done. The person had a group chat with over 250 corp members who were in the group for relocation purposes or simply for NYSC updates. However, the group was locked, and the person alone could share messages to the group. When I reached out to the person for services, they were not interested in taking calls. I insisted I could only trust them when I spoke to a voice. When they did pick up the call, their voice was muffled, and the only time I could hear them, all they said was, “I am busy, please. Text me.” I texted that I’d only trust them with a half payment, and once the work is done, they will receive the rest. They agreed, and I sent the half payment. They promised the relocation request would be approved tomorrow evening to my desired state.

Tomorrow evening, I refreshed the portal, and it still stated Akwa Ibom. I texted them, and they assured me it would be done. “Might be the network,” they said. Four days later, there was no movement on my portal, and that was when I began to feel suspicious. Instead of getting my relocation approved, they reverted to the money conversation and asked if I was sure I made the payment. Of course I did. I shared the receipt, for heaven’s sake. Since the group was locked, I couldn’t confirm from someone else, and I couldn’t enter anybody’s DM because what a fool I would have been. But thank God for WhatsApp’s reaction feature. As the scammer (as he’d be addressed henceforth) sent messages to the group, someone kept reacting to his messages with sad faces. The person reacted to more than 10 messages, and the scammer, as expected, deleted all the messages reacted to and removed the person from the group. That was when I realised I had been scammed.

I reached out to the person, and they confirmed they were scammed, and their friend too. The scammer blocked me.

I am sharing this story now because, as much as Nigerians complain about how systems don’t work in the country, there are people benefiting from the irregularities. Supposing it’s known that the in-camp relocation will be confirmed, and/or reasons will be given for its disconfirmation, people won’t bother outsourcing help after applying via the portal.

My experience is reflected in every institution in the country. Nigerians have lacked trust in the system, so they trust that they can bribe or pay their way out of anything or obtain anything. People would rather pay someone at the immigration office for fast-tracking of an international passport instead of applying online because they know or believe that when they apply online or by themselves, it will take months, if not years, to obtain their passports. Many Nigerians don’t know they can apply for a driver’s licence online. I was surprised when someone posted on their WhatsApp status that “If you want a BSc degree certificate, DM.” How do you DM to obtain a degree certificate?

These inconsistencies and irregularities in several institutions in Nigeria continue because there are people enabling and benefiting from them. My friend living abroad was surprised when he emailed a local government and got a response. He’s surprised because in many countries, the system is the first point of trust. In Nigeria, the system is often the last. We have become so accustomed to delays, uncertainty and dead ends that we instinctively look for a shortcut—a friend who knows someone, an agent, a “plug.” And where there is a demand for shortcuts, there will always be someone willing to sell one, whether it exists or not.

I was not scammed because I was careless. I was scammed because I had stopped believing the system would work on its own. That loss of trust is perhaps the greatest scam of all. Until Nigerians can trust institutions to be transparent, predictable and accountable, there will always be someone making money from the gap between what the system promises and what it delivers.