Govt Reacts As 4,300 NYSC Members Cram Into Ogun Camp

Ogun State has reacted to a viral online video showing prospective corps members sleeping in overcrowded conditions at the orientation camp in Sagamu, causing pandemonium online on Monday, and bringing the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) into the spotlight over their welfare.

The video had shown graduates packed into a multipurpose hall, with mattresses placed closely together on the floor, leaving little room for movement.

The hall, used for public 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.

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.

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.

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 said 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.

He said, “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.”

The government said it had intervened to ease the situation by providing 500 mattresses during the current exercise, while the Akarigbo of Remo donated 100 mattresses, followed by an additional donation of 200.

Akinmade emphasised that although the NYSC was responsible for managing the registration process and camp accommodation, the state government consistently supported the agency through interventions aimed at improving the welfare of corps members.

He also 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 assist with their transportation.

He added that Ogun State had been adjudged the best in the country in NYSC administration, describing the recognition as evidence of the state’s sustained commitment to supporting the scheme.

The governor’s aide urged members of the public to understand the distinction between the operational responsibilities of the NYSC and the supportive role of the state government, assuring them that the administration would continue to assist corps members.

The video has since attracted reactions from the public, including a civic technology and accountability organisation, MonITNG (@monitng), which condemned the reported conditions, describing them as “a national disgrace that demands immediate intervention.”

In a lengthy post, the organisation alleged that some prospective corps members had been asked to return home because the camp lacked sufficient accommodation, while others struggled to find sleeping spaces.

“How can a national programme responsible for receiving thousands of graduates fail to make adequate preparations for their arrival? Was the number of prospective corps members not known beforehand? Why were sufficient accommodation, sanitation and other essential facilities not provided?”

It called on the NYSC Director-General, the Federal Ministry of Youth Development and other relevant authorities to investigate the situation and improve accommodation, healthcare, sanitation, feeding and security at orientation camps across the country.

Economist Pat Utomi also condemned the situation, questioning why Nigerians continued to normalise deplorable conditions in public institutions.

In a post on his X handle, 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.”

The NYSC’s national spokesperson had yet to react to the outrage as of the time of filing this report.