The Director-General of the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC), Brigadier General Olakunle Nafiu, has called on state governments to expand the capacity of orientation camps to accommodate at least 5,000 corps members per state.
This directive aims to address the persistent accommodation shortfall caused by the surge in the number of participating graduates.
For the 2026 Batch ‘C’ Stream II service year, 11,155 corps members were deployed to Lagos State alone, but only 4,380 could be accommodated at the Iyana Ipaja facility. Thousands of graduates were then dislodged to neighbouring states including Ogun, Oyo, Edo, Kwara, and Delta to undergo their initial orientation course.
In a press statement signed by the NYSC Director of Information and Public Relations, Caroline Embu, the Director-General attributed the deficit to the rapid proliferation of tertiary institutions and an influx of foreign-trained graduates.
“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”.
Addressing corps members at the temporary camp in Iyana Ipaja, Lagos, Brigadier General Nafiu commended the Lagos State Government for the ongoing construction of a new 10,000-capacity permanent orientation camp.
The Lagos State NYSC Coordinator, Mrs Christiana Salmwang, confirmed the recent deployment and dislodgment figures. She gave assurances that all corps members temporarily sent to other states for the three-week orientation exercise will return to Lagos State for their primary assignments.
He revealed that Adamawa, Gombe, and Borno states are also at advanced stages of delivering brand-new facilities to the scheme.
Additionally, existing camps in Sokoto, Kwara, Enugu, and Osun states are currently undergoing renovations to provide a more conducive training environment. The NYSC DG appeals to other state administrations to replicate these infrastructural upgrades.
He urged the young graduates to embrace the foundational ideals of national unity while leveraging the Skill Acquisition and Entrepreneurship Development (SAED) programme for self-reliance.
Addressing security concerns, the NYSC boss directed corps members to maintain high situational awareness and avoid isolated movements.
“Never move in isolation from your colleagues. If you have any reason to go somewhere alone, ensure that you inform the colleagues with whom you share accommodation. Most importantly, notify your Corps Liaison Officer (CLO) and share your location with your colleagues as soon as you arrive at your destination,” Nafiu advised.
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