The Borno State Governor Babagana Zulum has approved a permanent orientation camp site for the National Youths Service Corps (NYSC) at Auno in Konduga Local Council of the state.

The temporary NYSC camp will be relocated to Government Secondary School, Auno, located along the Maiduguri-Damaturu Expressway.

According to him, the relocation of the NYSC camp is attributed to security, sustainability, and the future expansion of Maiduguri Metropolis and Konduga local council area of the state.

Speaking on Friday during an inspection of the facility camp, alongside Director General of the NYSC, Brig-Gen. Olakunle Nafiu, and other senior staff of the Corps, Zulum said: “The state government’s decision was driven for long-term planning rather than short-term conveniences.

Beyond ensuring conveniences to both the state government and NYSC, the Governor stated: “One of the key reasons I am proposing this location for the NYSC permanent orientation camp is sustainability. In the next one or two years.

“We may be hosting between 3,000 and 5,000 corps members,” noting that Keeping such population of corps members within Maiduguri could create pressure on the existing infrastructures and other services to the public.”

The governor noted that the ongoing construction of a 113km bypass, located about 2.5 kilometres from the proposed new NYSC camp site would enhance what he described as, ” accessibility, while the Teaching Hospital, which is expected to be inaugurated within the next two to three months.

The Kashim Ibrahim University (KIU), which is sited along the Expressway further underscores the area’s strategic importance of relocating the NYSC orientation camp site to Auno.

Regarding contiguous urban development in the Njimtilo-Auno axis, Zulum said: “This emerging corridor is fast becoming a major institutional and development hub. If we are very serious about long-term development planning, we must move to a more spacious and strategic safe location at Auno.”

According to him, the facility includes two hostels with eight dormitories, a dining hall and kitchen, 26 classrooms with attached offices, seven laboratories, and 12 additional rooms, an overhead water tank and a functional solar-powered borehole. He added that the classrooms alone can accommodate between 1,300 and 1,500 corps members at a time.

While speaking on security, Zulum assured that the proposed permanent NYSC orientation camp can be effectively fortified, as well as the proximity of security formations and a military checkpoint in the Maiduguri-Auno corridors.

Zulum continued: “If this place (camp site) is deemed suitable after your assessment, we will fortify and secured the perimeter fence, improve security architecture, and install modern technological gadgets to prevent intrusion insurgents. Once properly secured, this location in Auno will be ideal and safe to all the corps members and staff.”