Prospective corps members at the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) orientation camp in Sagamu, Ogun State, have been forced to sleep on mattresses spread across a multipurpose hall following overcrowding during the November 2026 Batch C, Stream II exercise.
A viral video circulating on social media showed graduates packed into the hall, with mattresses placed closely together on the floor, leaving little space for movement.The hall, ordinarily used for events, was reportedly converted into a temporary sleeping area to accommodate prospective corps members awaiting the completion of their registration and hostel allocation.
The footage sparked widespread criticism, with Nigerians questioning the preparedness of the NYSC to accommodate the number of graduates mobilised for the exercise.The controversy intensified after the Ogun State Government disclosed that the camp received more than 4,300 prospective corps members, compared with slightly over 2,000 it normally accommodates per batch.
Reacting to the situation, the Special Adviser on Media and Strategy to Governor Dapo Abiodun, Kayode Akinmade, said the video captured a temporary arrangement during the registration exercise, which extended into the night.
According to him, registration, screening, credential verification and hostel allocation are handled exclusively by NYSC officials.He explained that prospective corps members whose registration continued late into the night were temporarily accommodated in the multipurpose hall, where mattresses were provided.
Akinmade said the state government had intervened by providing 500 mattresses to ease the situation. The Akarigbo of Remo also donated 100 mattresses, followed by an additional 200. He maintained that although the NYSC was responsible for managing the camp’s operations, the state government had continued to support the scheme through interventions aimed at improving corps members’ welfare.
The governor’s aide also recalled that Governor Abiodun had approved ₦50,000 each for 3,050 corps members in the previous 2026 Batch C, Stream I, to support their transportation. However, the government’s explanation has not stopped criticism from Nigerians, many of whom insist that graduates deserve better accommodation and basic facilities during orientation.
Civic technology and accountability organisation MonITNG described the situation as a national disgrace requiring immediate intervention.
In a post on its X handle, the organisation questioned why the NYSC had failed to make adequate preparations despite knowing the number of graduates expected at the camp.
MonITNG also alleged that some prospective corps members had been asked to return home because of insufficient accommodation, while others struggled to find 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 across orientation camps.
Economist Pat Utomi also condemned the conditions, questioning why Nigerians continued to accept poor standards in public institutions.In a post on X, he described the Sagamu camp as resembling a prison hall and said young graduates should not be subjected to such treatment.
Meanwhile, some social media users argued that the overcrowding should not be blamed solely on the Ogun State Government, noting that the NYSC is a Federal Government scheme responsible for mobilising and posting corps members.
An X user, nba (@nba101i), also alleged that some male corps members had been removed from their hostel to accommodate female participants.The user expressed frustration over the alleged arrangement, describing it as unfair to the affected male corps members.
The controversy has also drawn attention to conditions at other orientation camps in the South-West.A separate video purportedly showing female corps members sleeping in an incomplete building at the permanent orientation camp in Ikare-Akoko, Ondo State, has also circulated online.
The reported conditions have further raised questions about accommodation and welfare arrangements across the scheme’s orientation camps.When contacted for comments, the NYSC Public Relations Officer in Ogun State, Tejumade Awoleye, declined to comment, saying only the state coordinator and the Director-General could address the matter.
As of the time of filing this report, the NYSC had yet to issue a substantive public explanation addressing the concerns.For the graduates arriving at orientation camps to begin their national service, the experience has raised an important question: should preparing for national service mean struggling to find a decent place to sleep?
