By Nkechi Eze
The Director-General of the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC), Brigadier General Olakunle Nafiu, has urged state governments to expand their Orientation Camps to accommodate at least 5,000 Corps Members each, following a significant increase in the number of graduates mobilised annually for the national service scheme.
Nafiu made the appeal while addressing Corps Members deployed to Lagos State for the 2026 Batch ‘C’ Stream II service year at the NYSC Temporary Orientation Camp, Iyana Ipaja, Lagos.
According to an official statement signed by the NYSC Director of Information and Public Relations, Caroline Embu, the Director-General attributed the accommodation challenges in Orientation Camps nationwide to the rising number of tertiary institutions and graduates, including Nigerians who obtained their qualifications from foreign institutions.
He explained that while the Scheme previously mobilised about 100,000 graduates annually when most of the existing Orientation Camps were constructed, the figure had increased to about 450,000, placing considerable pressure on available facilities.
“Before now, we used to mobilise about 100,000 graduates annually, and that was when most of the Orientation Camps in the country were built. Currently, however, we mobilise up to 450,000 graduates. This means that the population we have to cater for is far beyond the carrying capacities of the existing structures,” he said.
Nafiu, however, commended some state governments for efforts towards addressing the accommodation deficit, disclosing that the Lagos State Government was constructing a new 10,000-capacity permanent NYSC Orientation Camp.
He said the project, upon completion, would address the accommodation challenges currently being experienced at the temporary camp in Iyana Ipaja.
The NYSC Director-General also disclosed that Adamawa, Gombe and Borno States were at advanced stages of delivering new Orientation Camps, while existing facilities in Sokoto, Kwara, Enugu, Osun and other states were undergoing extensive renovations to provide more conducive training environments for Corps Members.
In Lagos State, the Coordinator of the Scheme, Mrs Christiana Salmwang, disclosed that 11,155 Corps Members had been deployed for the 2026 Batch ‘C’ service year, but only 4,380 were accommodated at the Iyana Ipaja camp.
She explained that the remaining Corps Members had been dislodged to neighbouring states, including Ogun, Oyo, Edo, Kwara and Delta, to undergo their Orientation Course due to the limited capacity of the Lagos camp.
Salmwang clarified that all the dislodged Corps Members would be posted to various locations in Lagos State for their Primary Assignments after completing the Orientation Course.
The Director-General also urged the Corps Members to embrace national unity and integration, describing the ideals as fundamental principles upon which the NYSC was established in 1973.
He encouraged them to build lasting relationships across ethnic, religious and cultural divides, including exchanging telephone contacts with one another, as part of efforts to strengthen national cohesion.
On economic empowerment, Nafiu advised the young graduates to take advantage of the Scheme’s Skill Acquisition and Entrepreneurship Development (SAED) programme to acquire vocational and entrepreneurial skills that would promote self-reliance.
He emphasised the importance of developing multiple sources of income to remain financially stable amid prevailing economic realities.
Addressing security concerns, the NYSC boss urged the Corps Members to remain vigilant, avoid moving in isolation and always inform their colleagues and Corps Liaison Officers (CLOs) about their movements.
He further advised them to share their locations with trusted colleagues upon arriving at their destinations to enhance their personal safety.
