RismadarVoice Reporters
November 12, 2026
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.
Nafiu appealed while addressing corps members undergoing the 2026 Batch C Stream II orientation exercise at the NYSC Temporary Orientation Camp in Iyana Ipaja, Lagos State.
In a statement issued by the scheme’s Director of Information and Public Relations, Caroline Embu, the NYSC chief disclosed that annual mobilisation had risen from approximately 100,000 graduates to as many as 450,000.
He attributed the increase to the growing number of tertiary institutions and graduates, including Nigerians who studied abroad.
According to Nafiu, many existing orientation camps were constructed when the scheme accommodated significantly fewer participants, making their current capacities inadequate.
He commended state governments for investing in new facilities and upgrading existing infrastructure to address accommodation shortages.
The director-general disclosed that Lagos State was constructing a permanent orientation camp designed to accommodate 10,000 corps members.
He explained that the facility, when completed, would ease overcrowding at the temporary camp in Iyana Ipaja.
Nafiu also identified Adamawa, Gombe and Borno as states making progress towards completing new orientation camps.
Existing facilities in Sokoto, Kwara, Enugu and Osun states are also undergoing renovations to improve accommodation and training conditions.
Earlier, Lagos State NYSC Coordinator, Christiana Salmwang, reported that 11,155 corps members had been deployed to the state for the 2026 Batch C service year.
She said 4,380 were accommodated at the Iyana Ipaja camp, while others were assigned to orientation facilities in neighbouring states because of limited space.
Salmwang clarified that the affected corps members would return to Lagos for their primary assignments after completing orientation.
Beyond infrastructure, Nafiu encouraged corps members to promote national unity by building friendships across ethnic, religious and cultural boundaries.
He also urged them to participate actively in the NYSC Skill Acquisition and Entrepreneurship Development programme to develop vocational and entrepreneurial skills.
On security, the director-general advised corps members to remain vigilant, avoid unnecessary solitary movements and keep trusted colleagues and Corps Liaison Officers informed of their whereabouts.
He maintained that improved infrastructure, skills development and responsible conduct were essential to achieving the scheme’s objectives.
