Nigerians react over deplorable state of NYSC camp in Cross River

By Frank Ulom

Nigerians have taken to social media to lament over the deplorable state of the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) camp in Cross River State.

The reactions came after the NYSC Director-General, Brig. Gen. Olakunle Nafiu, visited the Permanent Camp located in Obubra LGA on October 10, 2026, and found its facilities in deplorable condition, including damaged doors, beds, ceilings, peeling paint, and inadequate amenities.

A source told Vanguard that the scheme may halt the deployment of corps members for the 2026 Batch C Stream Il course starting November 4, following years of complaints about the aging site once used as a Government Science School.

According to the report, the Director-General was concerned that the facilities had become outdated and no longer met the required standards for hosting corps members.

He said the proposed directive would take effect after the ongoing 2026 Batch C, Stream One orientation exercise, effectively ruling out postings to the state for Stream Two, pending further notice.

“After going through the camp facilities, we discovered that the facilities are old and no longer meet the required standards.

“As a result, the Director-General said there would be no further posting of corps members to Cross River until further notice.

“In fact, he is saying that the state needs a brand-new camp,” the source said.

The source added that the scheme was seeking the intervention of the Cross River Government to address the situation.

Findings reveal that the camp, which used to hold 2,500 corps members per stream, now manages just over 1,000, with many seeking relocation amid issues like poor water, limited power, and no full perimeter fence.

The Cross River Coordinator of the NYSC, Mrs Mojisola Oyenuga, declined to comment on the matter.

The State’s Commissioner for Youth Development, Mr Ijom Ukam, had not responded to inquiries on the proposed suspension as of press time, according to Vanguard.

Reacting to the news, Nigerians took to Facebook and X to say thus:

@bo1mOrdr3d: “Worse condition than prison. Was here in 2024 and it’s even deteriorated lmao (sic).”

@lumi_xx0: “thank God i didn’t even move a muscle when i was posted there (sic).”

@adeniyicharles3: “I remembered in 2015, I was deployed to the same camp, the place look like poultry farm, very dirty environment, the toilet is unbearable. God bless this Director-General.”

@Thumblinalina: “This was the camp I went to! I spent only 4 days there, it was hell.”

@oojnxn: “One of the camp excos called us the platoon presidents and hostel governors to ask what we disliked about camp, we all spoke our minds, only for him to spend the rest of the conversation debunking everything we said lmao! Like I always say, we all know what we’re doing.”

Maji Michael: “Why are things in cross river state always different? Nysc camps all over the country are built n maintained by the host state. There are some states that have put those camps in excellent conditions and any person deployed their will feel quite comfortable. It’s unfortunate that the attitude of not maintaining govt facilities has been extended to the nysc facility. If I am the nysc DG I will ask the state to build a new camp to qualify to receive corp members going forward. I served in that state, 2002. The orientation camp wasn’t anything better (sic).”

Rosemary Odeke: “If una see the ancient toilet,bathroom and the oil and mud water we used to bath there una no go even fit shout,this isn’t even half of the evidence of how damaged and traumatizing that camp is,hostels blyk where mad pple dey stay,mattress fit give u skin infection, gfb. Both their camp and the state entirely is the worse to serve in,i regret every bit of it (sic).”

Elder Josiah: “And dem won do election, na these same corpers dem go deploy go polling units (sic).”

@UtsuPaul: “Where that SA wey dey always post about evidence group for X? Tag am, make him come see the real evidence here. Season of bitterness (sic).”