Let National Service Begin With Dignity, Not Suffering

 By Lanre Ogundipe

The National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) remains one of Nigeria’s most enduring nation-building institutions. For over five decades, it has fostered national integration, promoted cultural understanding and encouraged young Nigerians to contribute meaningfully to the country’s development.

Millions of graduates have proudly passed through the scheme, making it a symbol of unity and shared national purpose.

However, preserving the legacy of the NYSC requires more than celebrating its achievements. It demands a willingness to confront its shortcomings and reform areas that no longer serve the realities of contemporary Nigeria.

Recent reports from the ongoing 2026 Batch B Stream II Orientation Exercise have raised concerns about the welfare of prospective corps members in several orientation camps across the country. Accounts of overcrowding, endless registration queues, prolonged waiting under the scorching sun or in the rain, inadequate access to food, water and shelter, as well as physical exhaustion after long-distance journeys, paint a picture that should concern every well-meaning Nigerian.

Every corps member who reports to an orientation camp is first somebody’s son or daughter before becoming a participant in the NYSC scheme. Behind every graduate is a family that invested years of sacrifice, hope and encouragement. From the moment these young Nigerians arrive at the orientation camp, the Federal Government assumes not only an administrative responsibility but also a moral obligation to protect their welfare and preserve their dignity.

The orientation camp should represent the nation’s first official welcome to young graduates who have answered the call to national service. It should reassure them that their willingness to serve is appreciated and valued. Instead, many begin that journey with avoidable hardship that sends the wrong message about the country’s commitment to their wellbeing.

The situation becomes even more troubling when one considers that many corps members arrive with underlying health conditions such as asthma, diabetes, hypertension or sickle cell disease. Others, particularly young women who have endured long and difficult journeys, may face challenges relating to hygiene and personal care. These are not matters of comfort or convenience; they are issues of health, safety and human dignity.

It often takes only one preventable tragedy to expose weaknesses that have existed unnoticed for years. Nigeria should never wait for such an incident before taking proactive measures to improve conditions within its orientation camps.

The Nigeria of today is vastly different from that of 1973 when the NYSC was established. Universities now produce far more graduates. Transportation challenges have become more complex, security concerns influence travel across the country, technological innovations have transformed administrative processes, and population growth has placed enormous pressure on existing infrastructure. These realities demand that the operational framework of the orientation exercise evolves to meet present-day expectations.

National service was never intended to be an initiation into suffering. It was conceived as an introduction to nationhood, patriotism and shared responsibility. The first lesson a young Nigerian learns during national service should not be that hardship is the price of serving one’s country.

There is an urgent need for practical reforms that place the welfare of corps members at the centre of the orientation process. Covered waiting areas should be provided for prospective corps members awaiting registration. Safe drinking water and basic refreshments should be readily available during prolonged registration exercises. Medical personnel should actively identify and attend to vulnerable participants, while registration procedures should be streamlined to minimise congestion. Better scheduling of reporting periods would also reduce overcrowding and improve efficiency.

Beyond these immediate interventions, the Federal Government should undertake a comprehensive review of the orientation camp system. Such a review should assess camp capacities, registration procedures, the deployment of digital technology, welfare standards and emergency response mechanisms to ensure that the NYSC continues to fulfil its objectives in line with modern realities.

This is neither a political argument nor an attempt to assign blame. It is simply a call for compassion to complement administration. The success of the NYSC should not be measured solely by the number of graduates mobilised each year, but also by the quality of care extended to them from the moment they arrive at orientation camp.

History will remember not only the roads we constructed, the bridges we commissioned or the policies we introduced. It will also remember how we treated the young Nigerians entrusted with the future of this nation.

The greatest asset of the National Youth Service Corps is not its camps, uniforms or ceremonies. Its greatest asset is the confidence of young Nigerians that their country values their willingness to serve. That confidence should never begin to diminish at the gates of an orientation camp.

A nation is judged not only by how it honours its heroes but also by how it welcomes its youth. Nigeria must ensure that national service begins with dignity, compassion and hope not avoidable suffering.

*Ogundipe is  a commentator  on public issues