The Ogun State Government has attributed the overcrowding at the National Youth Service Corps orientation camp in Sagamu to a sharp increase in the number of prospective corps members deployed to the state.
The government’s explanation follows the circulation of a viral video showing prospective corps members sleeping on mattresses placed closely together on the floor of a multipurpose hall at the camp.
In a statement on Monday, the Special Adviser to Governor Dapo Abiodun on Media and Strategy, Kayode Akinmade, said the camp, which usually accommodates slightly above 2,000 corps members per batch, received more than 4,300 prospective corps members in the current batch.
He described the use of the multipurpose hall as a temporary measure to accommodate those whose registration and screening extended into the night.
Akinmade explained that prospective corps members were required to complete credential verification and screening by NYSC officials before being assigned hostel accommodation.
He said, “Those whose registration extended into the night were temporarily accommodated in the multipurpose hall, with mattresses provided for them to rest while the exercise continued.”
The government also clarified that registration, screening, credential verification and hostel allocation were handled by NYSC officials, rather than the state government.
However, Akinmade said the state had continued to support the scheme through interventions aimed at improving the welfare of corps members.
He disclosed that the government provided 500 mattresses for the current exercise, while the Akarigbo of Remo donated 100 mattresses and later added another 200.
He also recalled that Governor Abiodun had approved a transportation allowance of ₦50,000 each for 3,050 corps members during the previous 2026 Batch C Stream One orientation exercise.
The government maintained that Ogun State had been recognised as the best in the country in NYSC administration, describing the recognition as a reflection of its commitment to the scheme.
The overcrowding attracted public criticism after footage emerged online showing prospective corps members sharing mattresses and sleeping in tightly arranged spaces inside the multipurpose hall.
An X user, identified as Ayohid01, who appeared to be among those affected, expressed dissatisfaction with the situation, writing, “Bro, I can’t believe I am experiencing this right now at Ogun State camp. Unna no try at all.”
Meanwhile, the NYSC Public Relations Officer in Ogun State, Tejumade Awoleye, declined to comment when contacted, saying the matter could only be addressed by the state coordinator or the Director-General of the scheme.
“I can’t speak on the incident. It is the state coordinator and the Director-General of the NYSC that can address the issue,” she said.
The incident has renewed concerns about the capacity of orientation camp facilities to accommodate the increasing number of prospective corps members deployed to Ogun State.
