The Ogun State Government has attributed overcrowding at the National Youth Service Corps orientation camp in Sagamu to a sharp increase in the number of prospective corps members posted to the state.
The government’s explanation follows the circulation of a viral video showing prospective corps members sleeping in crowded conditions inside a multipurpose hall at the camp, popularly known as the Five-Star Camp.
In a statement on Monday, the Special Adviser to Governor Dapo Abiodun on Media and Strategy, Kayode Akinmade, said the footage showed a temporary arrangement made while registration and screening continued into the night.
Akinmade explained that the camp usually accommodates slightly more than 2,000 corps members per batch, but had received more than 4,300 prospective corps members for the current batch.
He said the increase had placed considerable pressure on the camp’s available facilities.
According to him, registration, screening, credential verification and hostel allocation are handled exclusively by NYSC officials and are not the direct responsibility of the state government.
“The prospective corps members must first undergo credential verification and screening by NYSC officials before being allocated hostels,” Akinmade said.
He added that those whose registration extended into the night were temporarily accommodated in the multipurpose hall, where mattresses were provided for them to rest while the exercise continued.
The video that triggered the controversy showed graduates packed into the hall, with mattresses placed closely together on the floor. Some prospective corps members also appeared to be sharing mattresses.
The footage raised concerns about the adequacy of accommodation and other facilities at the orientation camp.
Akinmade said the state government had supported the NYSC through interventions aimed at improving the welfare of corps members.
He disclosed that the government provided 500 mattresses for the current exercise, while the Akarigbo of Remo donated 100 mattresses, followed by an additional donation of 200.
The governor’s aide also recalled that Abiodun recently approved a payment of N50,000 each for 3,050 corps members who participated in the 2026 Batch C Stream I exercise to support their transportation.
He further said Ogun State had been adjudged the best in the country in NYSC administration, describing the recognition as evidence of the state government's commitment to supporting the scheme.
Akinmade urged the public to distinguish between the NYSC's operational responsibilities and the state government's supportive role, assuring that the administration would continue to assist the scheme.
However, the NYSC Public Relations Officer in Ogun State, Tejumade Awoleye, declined to comment on the incident when contacted.
Awoleye said the state coordinator and the Director-General of the NYSC were in a position to address the matter.
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