By Ayodele Oni
Most orientation camps for National Youth Service Corps members in states have been hit by accommodation problem, forcing members to sleep at every available spaces.
The management of the scheme has come under fire following the emergence of a viral video showing prospective corps members deployed to Ogun state, sleeping in overcrowded conditions at its orientation camp in Sagamu, amid growing concerns over their welfare.
The hall, ordinarily used for events, was reportedly converted into a sleeping area to accommodate the increasing number of prospective corps members.
The development sparked outrage on social media, with Nigerians condemning the living conditions and demanding improved welfare arrangements for corps members.
Nigerians also raised questions about the preparedness of the scheme to provide adequate accommodation for participants.
The NYSC came under further fire after the Ogun State Government blamed the overcrowding on the scheme’s decision to mobilise more than twice the facility’s normal capacity.
The government said the camp, popularly known as the Five-Star Camp, which typically accommodates slightly over 2,000 corps members per batch, received more than 4,300 prospective corps members in the current batch.
Reacting to the controversy, the Special Adviser on Media and Strategy to Governor Dapo Abiodun, Kayode Akinmade, said in a statement on Monday that the video captured a temporary arrangement during the registration exercise, which continued into the night.
He explained that the registration, screening, credential verification and hostel allocation of corps members were exclusively handled by NYSC officials and did not fall under the direct responsibility of the state government.
Akinmade pointed oit that prospective corps members had to undergo credential verification and screening by NYSC officials before being allocated hostels, adding that those whose registration extended into the night were temporarily accommodated in the multipurpose hall, where mattresses were provided.
Rivers state is also currently experiencing accommodation problem as over 4,000 youth corps members deployed to Rivers State for the 2026 Batch C, Stream II Orientation Course, commenced their orientation course amid complaint on inadequate accomodation.
The State NYSC Coordinator, Mr. Moses Oleghe, disclosed that the state received its largest deployment of Corps Members, attributing the development to the attractive welfare packages provided for serving members.
Oleghe, however, raised concerns over the pressure on existing accommodation facilities, which he described as overwhelmingly overstretched.
He appealed to the state government to urgently mobilise contractors to commence work on the approved 1,000-capacity hostels for male and female Corps Members to address the accommodation challenges in the camp.
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