Frustrated Graduate Torches Certificates Over Low-Paying Job Offer (video)

A frustrated Nigerian graduate burned his degree and NYSC certificates after being offered a low-paying job, expressing deep disappointment with the job market and the education system.

A Nigerian graduate has set social media ablaze—literally and figuratively—after publicly burning his university degree and NYSC certificate out of deep frustration with Nigeria’s job market and economic realities.

In a now-viral video, the young man, whose identity remains undisclosed, revealed he spent seven years earning his degree, only to graduate with a second class lower, scoring a 3.4 GPA—just 0.1 shy of the 3.5 benchmark for a second class upper. The narrow miss, he said, haunted him for years, leaving him feeling perpetually unlucky.

Despite nurturing dreams of becoming a singer, he turned to the corporate world when music didn’t pan out. But his hope for stability was shattered during a recent job interview where he was offered a monthly salary of ₦95,000—of which ₦60,000 would go to transportation alone.

Consumed by frustration, he made a dramatic statement: he set his academic and NYSC certificates on fire, calling the move a release from the burdens of unfulfilled dreams and a broken system.

“No regret,” he declared in the video. “This country would turn you to a mad person.”

His actions have ignited heated reactions online. While many sympathize with his pain and the harsh realities facing Nigerian youth, others warn against taking such irreversible steps in moments of despair.

The viral clip continues to fuel debate about the state of education, employment, and mental health support in Nigeria.