Brigadier General Olakunle Nafiu, the Director-General of the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC), has called on state governments to enlarge their orientation camps to house a minimum of 5,000 corps members each, following a massive surge in the yearly mobilisation of graduates.
Nafiu said the existing camps were built when the NYSC mobilised about 100,000 graduates annually, but the figure had risen to as many as 450,000, putting pressure on available accommodation and facilities.
He 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 in Iyana Ipaja, Lagos.
“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.
This was contained in a statement by the NYSC Director of Information and Public Relations, Caroline Embu.
The NYSC chief attributed the increase to the growth in the number of tertiary institutions and graduates in recent years, including Nigerians who obtained qualifications from foreign institutions.
He commended some state governments for efforts to address the accommodation shortage, disclosing that the Lagos State Government was constructing a new permanent orientation camp with a capacity for 10,000 corps members.
According to him, the facility, when completed, would ease the accommodation challenges at the temporary camp in Iyana Ipaja.
Nafiu also said 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.
He described the expansion of orientation camps across the country as a sustainable response to the growing number of prospective corps members.
The Director-General also urged corps members to promote national unity and integration, which he described as among the founding ideals of the NYSC when it was established in 1973.
He encouraged them to exchange contact details and build lasting relationships across ethnic, religious and cultural differences.
Nafiu further advised the corps members to take advantage of the Scheme’s Skill Acquisition and Entrepreneurship Development (SAED) programme to acquire vocational and entrepreneurial skills that could make them self-reliant.
He said having multiple sources of income was important for financial stability amid prevailing economic challenges.
On security, the NYSC chief cautioned corps members against moving alone and urged them to keep their colleagues and Corps Liaison Officers informed about their 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,” he advised.
Earlier, the Lagos State NYSC Coordinator, Mrs Christiana Salmwang, said the corps members deployed to the state had shown enthusiasm and readiness to be mentored in line with the Scheme’s core values.
Salmwang disclosed that 11,155 corps members were deployed to Lagos State for the 2026 Batch ‘C’ service year, but only 4,380 were accommodated at the Iyana Ipaja camp.
She said the remaining corps members were sent to neighbouring states, including Ogun, Oyo, Edo, Kwara and Delta, to complete their orientation course because of the limited capacity of the Lagos camp.
The coordinator, however, clarified that all corps members temporarily deployed to the neighbouring states would return to Lagos for their primary assignments after the orientation exercise.
She also commended the Lagos State Government for its continued support for the NYSC and commitment to corps members’ welfare.
What You Should Know
The National Youth Service Corps is facing a major infrastructural strain because the number of annual mobilised graduates has jumped from around 100,000 to approximately 450,000, far exceeding the original capacity of most state orientation camps.
- Positive Impact: Upgrading and expanding camp facilities will improve living conditions, reduce overcrowding, and allow thousands of corps members currently farmed out to neighbouring states to remain within their primary deployment locations.
- Potential Concerns: Until state governments fully deliver these expanded or new permanent camps, overcrowding at temporary sites will continue to inconvenience corps members and force many to undergo orientation in distant states.
