The Director-General of the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC), Brigadier General Olakunle Nafiu, has urged state governors across Nigeria to expand their respective orientation camps to accommodate the growing number of graduates mobilised for the national service scheme.

Nafiu 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.

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He also commended state governments making efforts to address accommodation shortages and improve facilities for corps members.

According to a statement by the NYSC Director of Information and Public Relations, Caroline Embu, the Director-General disclosed that the Lagos State Government was constructing a new permanent orientation camp with a capacity for 10,000 corps members.

He said the facility, when completed, would help address the accommodation challenges currently experienced at the temporary camp in Iyana Ipaja.

Nafiu also revealed that Adamawa, Gombe and Borno states were at advanced stages of providing new orientation camps, while existing facilities in Sokoto, Kwara, Enugu, Osun and other states were undergoing extensive renovations.

The NYSC chief attributed the accommodation challenges across the country to the significant increase in the number of tertiary institutions and graduates, including Nigerians who obtained qualifications from foreign universities.

He explained that the scheme’s annual mobilisation figure had risen considerably beyond the capacity of many existing camps.

“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.

The Director-General consequently appealed to state governments to increase the capacity of their orientation camps to accommodate at least 5,000 corps members each.

He described the proposed expansion as a sustainable way to manage the rising number of prospective corps members and improve their experience during the compulsory orientation exercise.

Nafiu also urged corps members to embrace national unity and integration, describing the values as fundamental principles upon which the NYSC was established in 1973.

He encouraged the young graduates to exchange contact details and build meaningful relationships across ethnic, religious and cultural differences.

The NYSC boss further advised them to take advantage of the scheme’s Skill Acquisition and Entrepreneurship Development (SAED) programme to acquire vocational and business skills that could help them become financially independent.

He stressed the importance of developing multiple income sources in response to the prevailing economic challenges.

On security, Nafiu advised corps members to remain vigilant and avoid travelling or moving around alone without informing their colleagues or relevant NYSC officials.

“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,” he warned.

He also advised them to notify their Corps Liaison Officer and share their locations with colleagues upon arriving at their destinations.

Meanwhile, the Lagos State NYSC Coordinator, Mrs Christiana Salmwang, disclosed that 11,155 corps members had been deployed to the state for the 2026 Batch C service year.

However, only 4,380 were accommodated at the Iyana Ipaja Orientation Camp, while the remaining corps members were sent to neighbouring states, including Ogun, Oyo, Edo, Kwara and Delta, to complete their orientation course because of limited accommodation.

Salmwang clarified that the affected corps members would return to Lagos for their primary assignments after completing the orientation exercise.

She commended the Lagos State Government for its continued support and commitment to the welfare of corps members.

Nafiu also praised the officers and men of the Nigerian Army’s 9 Brigade for their support to the NYSC in Lagos, particularly in providing security and deploying personnel to assist the scheme.

He gave the commendation during a courtesy visit to the Brigade Commander, Brigadier General Ayokunle Owolabi.

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Responding, Owolabi praised the cordial relationship between the Army Brigade and the NYSC, assuring the Director-General of continued support, particularly in protecting corps members and securing the scheme’s operations.