NYSC to blacklist employers denying corps members accommodation, transportation

The Director General of the National Youth Service Corps, Brigadier General Olakunle Nafiu, has threatened to blacklist employers who fail to provide accommodation and transportation for corps members posted to serve with them.

In a statement on Tuesday, NYSC revealed that Nafiu issued the warning during a working visit to Kogi State, where he interacted with corps members in Lokoja.

He assured corps members that the Federal Government remains committed to their security and welfare throughout the service year.

The threat of blacklisting marks a direct escalation in NYSC’s approach to employer compliance, signalling that agencies and organisations that neglect basic welfare obligations will lose access to corps member placements.

What Nafiu is saying

The NYSC Director General told corps members that the scheme would take firm action against employers who treated postings as a source of free labour without fulfilling corresponding welfare responsibilities.

He said any employer who did not provide accommodation and transportation for corps members would be blacklisted from enjoying corps services, a measure designed to use placement access as leverage to enforce welfare compliance.

Nafiu assured corps members that the Federal Government is resolutely committed to their security and welfare, while also appealing to state and local governments and other stakeholders to increase their support for the scheme.

On security, he reminded corps members that it was everyone’s responsibility.

• “Always notify relevant security agencies of suspicious actions,” he said, urging members to stay vigilant throughout their posting.

He advised corps members to maintain discipline and dedication to duty, describing them as ambassadors of their families, institutions of graduation and the NYSC itself.

More insights

On entrepreneurship, he urged members to take their post-camp Skill Acquisition and Entrepreneurship Development training seriously.

• “Be proactive, identify business opportunities within your host communities, and start making some money for yourselves even now,” he said.

On financial management, he acknowledged the prevailing economic challenges but encouraged corps members to develop a savings culture.

• “Take your service year as a training ground for future financial management by managing your finances wisely,” he said.

Kogi State NYSC Coordinator Tochi Chika Chris-Moneke, who received the Director General during the visit, expressed gratitude for the visit and said it demonstrated Nafiu’s commitment to the welfare and security of corps members and staff across the state.

She disclosed that the Kogi State Secretariat is planning to conduct a Corps Employers’ Workshop and a Health Initiative for Rural Dwellers programme in the coming weeks, both of which are expected to address some of the welfare and community engagement gaps the Director General highlighted during his visit.

What you should know

The welfare enforcement push comes amid a broader effort by the Federal Government to reform and reposition the NYSC scheme.

• Nairametrics earlier reported that the FG has confirmed plans to replace the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) traditional khaki uniform with locally produced fabrics as part of broader reforms aimed at repositioning the scheme and supporting Nigeria’s textile industry.
• Minister of Youth Development Ayodele Olawande disclosed the development during an appearance on Channels Television’s The Morning Brief, stating that the new uniforms would be produced locally to ensure government spending contributes to domestic manufacturing and economic growth.

The announcement follows the Federal Executive Council’s approval on June 29 of a comprehensive overhaul of the NYSC, which includes extending the orientation camp programme from three weeks to six weeks and replacing the traditional Passing Out Parade with a graduation ceremony. The reforms represent the first major restructuring of the scheme in its 53-year history.