The Director General of the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC), Brigadier General Olakunle Nafiu, has appealed for increased support for the Scheme in Rivers State.
General Nafiu made the appeal during an advocacy visit to the Sole Administrator of the State, Vice Admiral Ibok-Ete Ekwe Ibas (Rtd), at the Government House in Port Harcourt, the state capital.
Commending the Rivers State Government for its notable support to the NYSC State Secretariat, the DG highlighted the urgent need for additional hostel accommodation at the State’s Orientation Camp to cater for the growing number of Corps Members deployed to the state.
He noted that the NYSC now mobilizes an average of 400,000 Corps Members annually, resulting in an increased allocation to individual states. This, he said, underscores the need to upgrade camp infrastructure—particularly hostel accommodation—to meet the growing demands.
“The Orientation Camp is the first point of contact Corps Members have with the NYSC and the setting for the three-week-long Orientation Exercise, which prepares them for the task of national service and nation-building. It is essential that the camp environment is safe, conducive, and well-equipped for effective induction,” General Nafiu said.
He further praised the Rivers State Government for constructing what he described as the most spacious and modern Orientation Camp auditorium he has encountered in his nationwide tour of NYSC camps.
General Nafiu also informed the Administrator that Corps Members currently undergoing orientation in Rivers State are in high spirits and fully prepared to contribute meaningfully to the state’s development.
In response, Vice Admiral Ibok-Ete Ekwe Ibas reiterated the state government’s commitment to supporting the NYSC. He pledged to augment the feeding of Corps Members during the Orientation Exercise and supplement their monthly stipends.
He also assured the DG that the request for additional hostel facilities and general camp upgrades would be given due consideration.
