Get Guardian on GoogleThe Centre for Social Justice, Equity and Transparency (CESJET) has faulted inadequate accommodation and overcrowding in several National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) orientation camps across the country, calling on state governors to urgently improve facilities and prioritise the welfare of corps members.
The organisation expressed particular concern over the situation at the Sagamu orientation camp in Ogun State, where more than 4,300 prospective corps members were reportedly deployed to a facility designed to accommodate slightly above 2,000 people, forcing many to sleep in overcrowded multipurpose halls.
It said similar capacity challenges had been experienced in Lagos and other states, where large numbers of prospective corps members were either redirected or temporarily accommodated under difficult conditions.
In a statement signed by its Executive Director, Isaac Ikpa, CESJET described the recurring congestion as a threat to the dignity and welfare of young Nigerians participating in the national service programme.
The Centre noted that corps members play important roles in sustaining essential public services, particularly in healthcare and education, where they help bridge manpower shortages in hospitals and primary and secondary schools, especially in underserved communities.
It argued that state governments benefiting from their contributions must demonstrate greater commitment to their welfare by investing in additional hostels, upgrading existing facilities and providing adequate logistics support for orientation camps.
“It is only proper and kind that the Nigerian Governors Forum and individual state governors take the issue of camp accommodation and overall corps members’ welfare very seriously. These young graduates are not strangers; they are vital partners in the development and service delivery of the states they serve,” the statement said.
CESJET commended the NYSC Director-General, Brigadier General Olakunle Nafiu, for sustaining reforms in posting, welfare and security since assuming office, noting that his efforts to improve conditions for corps members and scheme personnel deserved continued support.
However, it maintained that the responsibility for providing a conducive environment for national service should not be left entirely to the NYSC management, insisting that state governments and local government councils must also fulfil their social responsibilities.
The organisation urged governors to work closely with the NYSC to expand and rehabilitate orientation camp facilities, provide adequate bedding, improve sanitation and strengthen security arrangements.
It also called on the Nigerian Governors’ Forum to make the accommodation challenges and general welfare of corps members a priority on its agenda to facilitate coordinated action across the states.
Ikpa said investment in NYSC infrastructure should be regarded as an investment in human capital and public service delivery, given the important contributions corps members make to communities throughout their one-year service.
“State governments and local government councils must rise to their social responsibilities. Corps members fill critical gaps in hospitals and classrooms; it is only fair that their temporary homes during orientation receive the attention and resources they deserve,” he added.
He stressed that improved camp facilities would promote better health, morale and safety among corps members while strengthening the overall effectiveness of the national service programme.
