RismadarVoice Reporters, August 20, 2026
The Director-General of the National Youth Service Corps, Brig. Gen. Olakunle Nafiu, has warned corps members against participating in political campaigns or using their NYSC identity and social media platforms to promote political parties and candidates ahead of the 2027 general elections.
Nafiu also cautioned corps members against spreading misinformation and AI-generated content, urging them to verify information before sharing or reposting materials online.
The NYSC director-general gave the warning on Wednesday during his working visit to the 2026 Batch ‘B’ Stream II Orientation Course at the NYSC Permanent Orientation Camp in Katsina.
He reminded the corps members that they were required to remain politically neutral and must not use their NYSC identity or social media accounts to campaign for political parties or candidates.
“As corps members, you are not permitted to campaign for any political party or candidate. If your social media activities are traced to political promotion while wearing the NYSC identity, appropriate action will be taken,” Nafiu said.
He also urged them to exercise caution when consuming and sharing information online, particularly as advances in artificial intelligence make it increasingly difficult to distinguish authentic photographs and videos from manipulated content.
“Don’t just share or repost blindly. Think through what you receive. Verify the source, check when the picture was taken and determine whether it has been manipulated by AI. Technology has changed the information space completely,” he said.
Nafiu said corps members would have an important role to play in the 2027 elections, as many of them are expected to be deployed as ad hoc electoral personnel.
He described the assignment as an opportunity for corps members to contribute to Nigeria’s democratic process by assisting eligible citizens to exercise their right to vote.
The NYSC DG urged them to take the responsibility seriously and contribute to the conduct of credible, free and fair elections.
He also encouraged the corps members to participate in the Skills Acquisition and Entrepreneurship Development programme, noting that vocational and entrepreneurial skills were increasingly important in the current economic climate.
Nafiu said the orientation programme was designed to instil discipline, leadership, teamwork, obedience and a sense of responsibility among corps members through drills and other activities, including the Man O’ War obstacle exercises.
1,333 corps members registered in Katsina
Earlier, the Katsina State NYSC Coordinator, Evans Okwor, disclosed that 1,333 corps members, comprising 759 males and 574 females, had been registered for the orientation exercise.
He added that 363 camp officials, made up of 173 NYSC staff and 190 personnel from collaborating agencies, were participating in the exercise.
Okwor said the camp clinic had 40 medical personnel and was adequately stocked with essential drugs.
According to him, 783 corps members and 40 camp officials had so far received medical attention, while 14 cases were referred to the General Hospital, Katsina, and two patients remained on admission.
He listed malaria, typhoid fever, asthma, peptic ulcer disease, body pains and blood pressure-related conditions among the common health challenges recorded at the camp.
Okwor commended the corps members for their discipline and positive adaptation to camp activities.
The orientation course, which began on August 5, is scheduled to end on August 25, 2026.
