The National Youth Service Corps has faced widespread criticism over the accommodation of more than 4,300 prospective corps members at its orientation camp in Sagamu, Ogun State, following the circulation of a viral video showing participants sleeping in overcrowded conditions.
The footage, which emerged online on Monday, showed prospective corps members lying on mattresses arranged closely together on the floor of a multipurpose hall, with little space for movement.
The hall was reportedly converted into a temporary sleeping facility to accommodate the influx of participants.
The development triggered public outrage, with Nigerians questioning the NYSC’s preparedness for the exercise and demanding better welfare and accommodation for the corps members.
The Ogun State Government subsequently attributed the situation to the mobilisation of more than twice the camp’s regular capacity.
The state government said the Five-Star Camp in Sagamu, which ordinarily accommodates slightly above 2,000 corps members per batch, received over 4,300 participants during the ongoing exercise.
In a statement on Monday, the Special Adviser on Media and Strategy to Governor Dapo Abiodun, Kayode Akinmade, explained that the viral video captured a temporary arrangement made during registration, which extended into the night.
According to him, the registration, screening, credential verification and hostel allocation processes were handled exclusively by NYSC officials and were not directly under the state government’s control.
He noted that prospective corps members were required to complete verification and screening before receiving hostel allocations, while those whose registration lasted into the night were temporarily accommodated in the multipurpose hall with mattresses 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 disclosed that it had provided 500 mattresses to ease the situation, while the Akarigbo of Remo donated 100 mattresses, followed by another 200.
Akinmade reiterated that the state government had consistently supported the NYSC in improving the welfare of corps members, despite the scheme’s responsibility for camp operations.
He also recalled that Abiodun recently approved ₦50,000 transportation assistance for each of the 3,050 corps members in the previous 2026 Batch C, Stream I.
The governor’s aide further stated that Ogun had been recognised as the best state in NYSC administration, describing the award as a reflection of its commitment to the scheme.
Akinmade urged the public to distinguish between the NYSC’s operational responsibilities and the state government’s supportive role, assuring that the administration would continue to assist the agency.
The controversy also drew attention to alleged poor accommodation conditions in other South-West orientation camps.
A video purportedly showing female corps members at the permanent orientation camp in Ikare-Akoko, Ondo State, sleeping in an unfinished building without toilets or bathrooms also circulated online.
The footage was reportedly recorded during the November 2026 Batch C, Stream II orientation exercise. However, the NYSC had yet to issue a comprehensive public response to the allegations.
The NYSC Public Relations Officer in Ogun State, Tejumade Awoleye, declined to comment when contacted, stating that only the state coordinator and the Director-General could address the matter.
The scheme’s national spokesperson also had yet to respond to calls and text messages seeking its position as of the time of filing this report.
As public reactions continued, an X user, Ayohid01 (@ayohid01), who appeared to be among the affected prospective corps members, expressed frustration over the accommodation, writing, “Bro, I can’t believe I am experiencing this right now at Ogun State camp. Unna no try at all.”
Another user, Chude (@Chude_ND1), likened the conditions to those in displacement camps, writing, “Imagine NYSC Orientation Camp Shagamu, Ogun State in 2026. Even people in IDP camps in Gaza are not living like this. We have serious problems in this country.”
CandyLove (@DazylingQueen) also described the situation as unacceptable, expressing sadness that Nigerian graduates were being subjected to such conditions.
A civic technology and accountability organisation, MonITNG (@monitng), condemned the reported accommodation arrangements, 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 of insufficient accommodation, while others struggled to secure sleeping spaces.
It questioned the NYSC’s preparations, asking, “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?”
MonITNG urged 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 nationwide.
Economist Pat Utomi also criticised the development, questioning why Nigerians continued to accept poor 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.”
Meanwhile, some social media users argued that the Ogun State Government should not be blamed for the overcrowding, noting that the NYSC is a Federal Government programme responsible for deploying corps members to states.
An X user, nba (@nba101i), also alleged that some male corps members had been removed from their hostel to make room for female participants.
The user wrote, “This is currently live at NYSC camp in Sagamu. The boys were sent out from their hostel for no reason, just to bring other females to the only boys’ hostel in this camp. This is unfair. You guys can do better; honestly, I’m currently pissed.”
