You've put in the work to get to this stage of your life. You're serving at your PPA, receiving your monthly allowance, and probably thinking about what comes next.

Maybe you hope your PPA will retain you. Perhaps you've been told to keep doing your best because there may be an opportunity for you after service. Maybe you even have an uncle or someone who has promised to help you find a job.

And there's nothing wrong with hoping things work out. But what if they don't?

What if your PPA cannot retain you? What if the job doesn't come through? What if the person you were counting on cannot help you after all?

Your service year will eventually end, and your monthly allowance will stop. Then you'll need to figure out your next move, find a source of income and start making plans for your future.

You may find yourself preparing CVs, checking job vacancies, sending applications and asking around for opportunities. Meanwhile, your personal goals and responsibilities won't simply disappear.

So let me ask you something: while you still have time during your service year, what practical skill are you developing that you can continue using after NYSC?

Not just your certificate. Not just the fact that you've completed service. What can you actually do, and what problems can you help people solve?

That's a question worth thinking about now, rather than waiting until your allowance has stopped.

You're helping to build a company. What are you building for yourself?

You wake up early, prepare for work, deal with traffic, get to the office and put in the hours.

Sometimes you do more than what's expected. You contribute ideas, solve problems, help your team meet targets and go the extra mile to make things happen.

Imagine you help secure a major deal for your company. You made the calls, followed up, worked through the challenges and helped bring in a significant client.

The deal succeeds. The company benefits. Your boss receives the recognition, and everyone celebrates the result.

But your own contribution? Perhaps all you get is a simple "well done." No meaningful recognition. No additional compensation that reflects the extra value you helped create.

You know what you contributed. You know how much effort it took. And it can be frustrating to watch someone else receive the credit for work you helped make possible.

Now, there's nothing wrong with having a job. Employment can provide valuable experience, income and stability. But while you're using your time and abilities to help an organisation grow, have you considered how you can develop those abilities for your own future as well?

What if you could use what you know to develop your own projects, explore a business idea or build additional professional skills?

You don't necessarily need to resign or abandon your career. But it's worth asking yourself: beyond your current job, what other capabilities are you developing for yourself?

Your child may have potential that goes beyond their school results.

As a parent, you want your child to succeed. You pay school fees, provide books, encourage them to study and make sacrifices because you want them to have a better future.

And education is important. This isn't about telling your child to abandon school or suggesting that academic learning has no value.

But have you considered that your child may also have interests and abilities that aren't fully reflected in their school results?

Perhaps your child enjoys drawing, telling stories, creating things or experimenting with technology. Maybe they are curious about how videos are made, how websites work or how people turn ideas into something real.

What if those interests could be developed into useful skills?

The world your child is growing into is changing. AI and digital tools are influencing how people create, communicate and work. We cannot predict every skill that will matter years from now, but we can give children opportunities to explore, practise and learn.

School and practical skills don't have to compete with each other. Your child can continue their education while exploring creativity, technology and problem-solving.

As a parent, you have an opportunity to help them discover what interests them and develop their abilities over time. The question is: alongside their education, what practical skills are you helping them explore?