NYSC Gives Reason For Ogun Camp Overcrowding

The National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) has attributed the severe accommodation crisis and overcrowding experienced at orientation camps across the country to the soaring number of graduates mobilized annually for the mandatory national service programme.

The Director-General of the scheme, Brigadier General Olakunle Nafiu, made the clarification while addressing members of the 2026 Batch C Stream II at the NYSC Permanent Orientation Camp in Sagamu, Ogun State.

The explanation followed a statement issued on Friday by the scheme’s Director of Information and Public Relations, Caroline Embu, titled ‘Rising Corps Population Puts Pressure on NYSC Camp Facilities.’

According to the DG, annual mobilization figures have surged from approximately 400,000 in 2025 to roughly 450,000 this year, placing immense strain on existing infrastructure. He projected that numbers could climb further to between 500,000 and 600,000 within the next three to five years, necessitating significant facility expansion.

‘He explained that the growing number of graduates seeking to participate in the national service programme had placed considerable pressure on the Scheme’s existing infrastructure and resources, particularly accommodation facilities in orientation camps,’ the statement noted.

The official response comes days after a viral video circulated on social media showing prospective corps members sleeping in cramped conditions on mattresses laid closely together on the floor of a multipurpose hall at the Sagamu camp, sparking public outrage over participant welfare.

Reacting to the controversy, the Ogun State Government explained that the facility—designed to accommodate slightly over 2,000 individuals per batch—received an influx of 4,315 prospective corps members for the current session.

Kayode Akinmade, Special Adviser to Governor Dapo Abiodun on Media and Strategy, clarified that the multipurpose hall arrangement was strictly temporary for those whose registration and screening extended late into the night.

Ogun State NYSC Coordinator, Mrs. Omolabake Adewuyi, disclosed that the total figure comprised 3,834 corps members originally deployed to Ogun and 481 others temporarily accommodated in the state before proceeding to their primary assignments in Lagos.

While acknowledging the Federal Government’s commitment to improving conditions, the NYSC noted that expanding infrastructure requires substantial financial investments and time, particularly given competing national priorities such as security, education, and road construction.

Brigadier General Nafiu emphasized that orientation camps are owned and maintained by respective state governments, adding that the scheme is actively engaging state authorities to bridge accommodation deficits nationwide.

He also offered an apology to corps members for the discomfort experienced in Ogun State and assured them that additional hostel construction is already underway on the camp grounds to boost capacity for future batches.