Fidelia Soriwei, Abuja
The National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) has faced widespread criticism following the emergence of videos showing prospective corps members sleeping in overcrowded conditions at its orientation camp in Sagamu, Ogun State, after more than 4,300 graduates were mobilised to the facility.
The viral footage, which circulated on Monday, showed mattresses arranged closely together on the floor of a multipurpose hall converted into a temporary sleeping area, leaving occupants with little room to move.
The development raised concerns about accommodation, sanitation and the preparedness of the NYSC to provide adequate facilities for the November 2026 Batch C, Stream II orientation exercise.
The Ogun State Government attributed the situation to the number of prospective corps members deployed to the camp, popularly known as the Five-Star Camp, which ordinarily accommodates slightly more than 2,000 participants per batch.
In a statement on Monday, the Special Adviser on Media and Strategy to Governor Dapo Abiodun, Kayode Akinmade, said the camp received more than 4,300 prospective corps members for the current exercise, placing considerable pressure on its available facilities.
Akinmade explained that registration, screening, credential verification and hostel allocation were handled exclusively by NYSC officials. He said those whose registration extended into the night were temporarily accommodated in the multipurpose hall, where mattresses were provided.
He added that the state government intervened by supplying 500 mattresses, while the Akarigbo of Remo donated 100 mattresses and subsequently provided another 200 to ease the accommodation challenge.
The governor’s aide also recalled that Abiodun had approved ₦50,000 transportation support for each of the 3,050 corps members in the previous 2026 Batch C, Stream I. He maintained that the state government remained committed to supporting the NYSC despite the scheme’s responsibility for managing camp operations.
The controversy has also drawn attention to conditions at other orientation camps in the South-West. A separate video circulating online purportedly showed female corps members at the permanent orientation camp in Ikare-Akoko, Ondo State, sleeping in an unfinished building without toilets or bathrooms.
The footage was linked to the November 2026 Batch C, Stream II exercise, although the NYSC had yet to issue a substantive public response addressing the reported conditions at the camps.
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 speak on the matter. The national spokesperson had also not responded to calls and text messages seeking the organisation’s position as of the time of filing this report.
The situation generated strong reactions on social media, with several Nigerians questioning the scheme’s preparations for the arrival of thousands of graduates. An X user, Ayohid01 (@ayohid01), who appeared to be among those affected, wrote, “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), compared 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.”
Economist Pat Utomi also criticised the situation, questioning why poor conditions in public institutions continued to be accepted as normal. In a post on X, he said, “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.”
Civic technology and accountability organisation MonITNG also condemned the reported overcrowding, describing it as “a national disgrace that demands immediate intervention.” 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 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 nationwide.
Meanwhile, some Nigerians argued that responsibility for the overcrowding should not be placed entirely on the Ogun State Government, noting that the NYSC is a Federal Government scheme responsible for mobilising and deploying corps members.
Another X user, nba (@nba101i), alleged that some male corps members had been removed from their hostel to accommodate 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.”
