By Stella Odueme
The National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) has called for increased investment in orientation camp infrastructure to cope with the growing number of Nigerian graduates participating in the national service programme.
The Director-General of the Scheme, Brigadier General Olakunle Nafiu, said annual mobilisation had risen from about 400,000 prospective corps members last year to approximately 450,000 in 2026, creating additional pressure on accommodation and other camp facilities.
Nafiu spoke while addressing members of the 2026 Batch ‘C’ Stream II at the NYSC Permanent Orientation Camp in Sagamu, Ogun State, Director of Information and Public Relations, Caroline Embu, said in a statement.
He projected that the number of graduates mobilised annually could reach between 500,000 and 600,000 within the next three to five years, making the expansion of existing facilities increasingly necessary.
According to him, the rising population has stretched the available infrastructure, particularly hostel accommodation, across some orientation camps nationwide.
He explained that addressing the challenge would require substantial financial commitment, noting that the Federal Government had other competing responsibilities, including security, education, road construction and critical national development projects.
The Director-General emphasised that state governments also had significant responsibilities in providing and maintaining camp facilities because the orientation camps were owned by them.
He disclosed that the NYSC was engaging state governments to encourage the expansion of existing facilities and address accommodation gaps.
Nafiu said the Scheme would also improve its planning and make adequate provisions for future increases in mobilisation, drawing lessons from previous orientation exercises.
He commended state governments that had invested in improving their camps and expressed confidence that stronger collaboration between the different levels of government would produce lasting improvements.
The NYSC chief apologised to corps members over the accommodation difficulties and discomfort experienced at the Ogun State camp, assuring them that efforts were ongoing to improve their welfare.
He also urged the corps members to uphold patriotism, discipline and national unity throughout their service year.
Nafiu warned against using social media to spread misinformation or promote divisive messages, urging the young graduates to use their education and influence to foster peace and national development.
He further charged them to demonstrate commitment and selflessness in their places of primary assignment, whether in schools, hospitals, engineering establishments, agricultural centres or other sectors.
Earlier, the Ogun State Coordinator of NYSC, Mrs Omolabake Adewuyi, disclosed that 4,315 corps members had registered for the orientation exercise.
She said 3,834 were deployed to Ogun State, while 481 corps members originally posted to Lagos State were temporarily accommodated in Ogun for the orientation programme before proceeding to their respective places of primary assignment in Lagos.
Adewuyi said security personnel had been deployed within and around the camp to guarantee the safety of corps members, officials and visitors.
She added that electricity and water supplies had remained efficient, providing a conducive atmosphere for the orientation activities.
The coordinator also disclosed that work was ongoing on an additional hostel block to increase accommodation capacity and improve facilities ahead of subsequent orientation exercises.