A Nigerian graduate has sparked intense conversation online after burning his university degree and National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) certificate out of frustration with the country’s job market and struggles.
In a video circulating on social media, the unidentified young man narrated how he spent seven years in the university, only to graduate with a second class lower, scoring a 3.4 GPA—just shy of the 3.5 required for a second class upper.
According to him, the disappointment of narrowly missing a higher classification left him feeling perpetually unlucky. He had always dreamed of becoming a singer, but when the music path didn’t yield results, he turned to the corporate world in hopes of finding stability.
However, his breaking point came during a recent job interview where he was offered a salary of ₦95,000. He lamented that ₦60,000 of it would be spent on transportation alone each month, leaving him with little to survive on.
In a fit of anger and despair, he set fire to his academic and NYSC certificates, declaring his frustration with the state of the country and his circumstances.