NYSC Extends Service Year of Viral Corps Member Raye After Criticism of Tinubu’s Government

The National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) has extended the service year of Ms. Rita Ushie, widely known on social media as Raye, by two months following her now-viral video criticizing President Bola Tinubu’s administration and the growing economic hardship in Nigeria.

Raye, who had just one month left to complete her mandatory service, gained national attention in March 2025 after she emotionally decried the worsening living conditions and slammed the federal government. In the video, shared via her TikTok handle @talktoraye, she stated:

“I don’t know if there’s ever been a president as terrible as you, but you are such a terrible president.”

She also described the NYSC allowance as insufficient to survive, lamenting that rising transport fares, food costs, and electricity bills were crippling her finances as a corps member living alone in Lagos.

“A crate of eggs is now ₦6,500. I’m overwhelmed by NEPA bills, security levies, and Uber fares that cost up to ₦25,000.”

The fallout from the video was swift. NYSC officials allegedly began contacting her, demanding the video be taken down, and later summoned her to appear before disciplinary authorities. She first appeared at the Eti-Osa Local Government NYSC office with activist Omoyele Sowore and her legal team, only to find the official who summoned her absent.

After repeated delays and unofficial communication, she was finally summoned again to the Iyana Ipaja NYSC camp on June 18, where she was informed of her service extension, widely seen as punishment for her outspokenness.

Jonathan Ugbal of the Take It Back Movement, who has been in contact with Raye’s family, said:

“She apologized to staff who were upset about her public criticism. But when she was told her service would be extended, she broke down in tears. Her mother called us, very distressed.”

Despite the public backlash and support from human rights activists, the NYSC has not released an official statement about the disciplinary action taken.

Meanwhile, civil society groups continue to debate the incident, accusing the scheme of violating free speech and suppressing dissent.

Raye’s story has reignited a national conversation on the role of NYSC, the realities of youth life under economic pressure, and whether speaking truth to power should come with punishment.

As it stands, Raye now has two extra months of service, not for misconduct, but seemingly for voicing what many Nigerian youths feel but fear to say out loud.