NYSC Under Fire Over Overcrowding At Ogun Orientation Camp

The National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) has come under criticism following the emergence of a viral video showing prospective corps members sleeping in overcrowded conditions at its orientation camp in Sagamu, Ogun State.

The footage, which surfaced online on Monday, showed graduates sleeping on mattresses placed closely together on the floor of a multipurpose hall, leaving little room for movement.

The hall, ordinarily used for events, was reportedly converted into a temporary sleeping area to accommodate the increasing number of prospective corps members.

The video triggered widespread outrage on social media, with Nigerians questioning the scheme’s preparedness and demanding better accommodation and welfare arrangements for participants.

The Ogun State Government, however, attributed the overcrowding to the NYSC’s decision to mobilise more than twice the camp’s normal capacity.

According to the government, the camp, popularly known as the Five-Star Camp, usually accommodates slightly above 2,000 corps members per batch but received more than 4,300 prospective corps members for the current exercise.

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 extended into the night.

Akinmade explained that registration, screening, credential verification and hostel allocation were handled exclusively by NYSC officials and were not under the direct responsibility of the state government.

He said prospective corps members were required to complete verification and screening before being allocated accommodation, adding that those whose registration extended into the night were temporarily housed in the multipurpose hall, where mattresses were provided.

“The state received more than 4,300 prospective corps members for the current batch, compared with slightly over 2,000 in previous batches, increasing the pressure on available camp facilities,” he said.

The government disclosed that it had provided 500 mattresses to ease the situation, while the Akarigbo of Remo donated 100 mattresses, followed by an additional donation of 200.

Akinmade maintained that although the NYSC was responsible for managing registration and camp accommodation, the state government had consistently supported the scheme through interventions aimed at improving corps members’ welfare.

He recalled that Governor Abiodun had recently approved ₦50,000 each for the 3,050 corps members in the previous 2026 Batch C, Stream I, to support their transportation.

The governor’s aide also said Ogun State had been adjudged the best in the country in NYSC administration, describing the recognition as evidence of the government’s commitment to supporting the scheme.

He urged the public to distinguish between the operational responsibilities of the NYSC and the supportive role of the state government, assuring that the administration would continue to assist corps members.

The controversy also drew attention to conditions at other orientation camps in the South-West, with social media users alleging that similar situations existed in other states.

A video purportedly showing female corps members at the permanent orientation camp in Ikare-Akoko, Ondo State, sleeping in an incomplete building without toilets or bathrooms also circulated online.

The footage was reportedly recorded during the November 2026 Batch C, Stream II exercise.

However, the NYSC had yet to issue a substantive public explanation of the reported conditions as of the time of filing this report.

When contacted, the NYSC Public Relations Officer in Ogun State, Tejumade Awoleye, declined to comment, saying only the state coordinator and the Director-General of the scheme could address the matter.

The scheme’s national spokesperson had also yet to respond to calls and text messages seeking its position on the controversy.

Meanwhile, Nigerians continued to condemn the reported conditions, with several social media users sharing accounts and expressing frustration over the situation.

Economist Pat Utomi also criticised the reported conditions, questioning why Nigerians continued to accept what he described as deplorable standards in public institutions.

In a post on X, he wrote, “Why do we keep normalising abnormal conditions in Nigeria? This is the NYSC camp in Sagamu, Ogun State. You could show this video to a foreigner, and they would probably mistake the place for a prison hall. Our young corps members should never be subjected to such deplorable conditions. They deserve dignity, better facilities and a much better camping experience.”