The Ogun State Government has defended its role following widespread public outrage triggered by a viral video showing prospective National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) members sleeping in overcrowded conditions at the Sagamu orientation camp.
Addressing the controversy on Monday, Kayode Akinmade, Special Adviser on Media and Strategy to Governor Dapo Abiodun, clarified that the hall shown in the video was a temporary holding space used while NYSC officials completed late-night registration and credential verification. He explained that the Sagamu facility—which typically hosts just over 2,000 corps members per batch—was overwhelmed by an unprecedented influx of more than 4,300 prospective corps members.
Stressing that hostel allocation and registration fall exclusively under NYSC federal jurisdiction, Akinmade highlighted that the state government intervened to alleviate the shortage by providing 500 mattresses, alongside 300 mattresses donated by the Akarigbo of Remo.
The viral footage sparked fierce criticism online. Accountability group MonITNG labeled the conditions “a national disgrace,” while political economist Prof. Pat Utomi publicly questioned why Nigerian institutions normalize sub-par conditions for youth. National NYSC authorities have yet to issue an official statement.
