Gen. Olakunle Nafiu, Has Warned Corps-producing Institutions in Abuja, Nigeria, Against Undermining the Credibility of the Scheme by Failing

The Director General of the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC), Brig. Gen. Olakunle Nafiu, has warned corps-producing institutions in Abuja, Nigeria, against undermining the credibility of the scheme by failing to upload credible data. He issued the warning at the opening ceremony of the 2026 Batch 'C' Pre-Mobilisation Workshop, themed "Strengthening Institutional Accountability, Data Integrity and Digital Innovation for Seamless NYSC Mobilisation, held Friday in Abuja to review the mobilisation process." Nafiu stressed the need for institutions to properly verify graduate data before submission to the NYSC for mobilisation.

"Accountability is more than regulatory compliance. It requires every institution and officer involved in mobilisation to take ownership of assigned responsibilities, adhere to approved procedures and remain answerable for decisions and actions taken," he said. He added that inaccurate records, unauthorised data alterations, delayed responses, or failure to meet timelines could adversely affect graduate mobilisation and the scheme's credibility.

The DG also warned stakeholders against negligence, manipulation of records, abuse of process, and other practices that could compromise the integrity of the exercise. He urged institutions to strengthen internal quality assurance mechanisms before transmitting data to the NYSC, noting that credibility depends on the accuracy, completeness, and authenticity of data received. Nafiu identified incorrect personal records, unauthorised alterations after senate or academic board approval, uploading unqualified persons, manipulation or delayed processing of records, weak internal controls, and delays in uploading approved graduation lists as key challenges.

"These lapses generate complaints, increase operational costs and disrupt the mobilisation calendar, with implications for national planning," he said. Nafiu stressed that data management must be treated as a critical responsibility from admission through graduation and final mobilisation. He disclosed that the NYSC would continue deploying technology to reduce manual interventions, improve transparency, and enhance efficiency, while cautioning that technology alone could not compensate for poor governance and weak institutional processes.

Earlier, the Director of Corps Mobilisation, Mrs. Idaewor Onomhoare, said the workshop was an important platform for strengthening cooperation among the NYSC, corps-producing institutions, and other stakeholders. She noted that while considerable progress had been made, there was still a need to improve service delivery across the mobilisation chain. "Errors, omissions, duplicate entries or intentional misrepresentation in the records of prospective corps members can compromise the integrity of the exercise and create unnecessary challenges for all concerned, she said, urging institutions to ensure records accurately represent graduates' true profiles and to treat verification, documentation, and timely submission as core institutional responsibilities." She added that these should not be seen as merely routine administrative tasks.