‘Where do we sleep?’ – NYSC members lament accommodation crisis nationwide

By Adesina Wahab

As part of efforts to reunite the country after the civil war, the then military administration of General Yakubu Gowon set up the National Youth Service Corps, NYSC, Scheme that makes it mandatory for graduates of tertiary institutions to serve the fatherland for a year.

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Established on May 22, 1973, it requires Nigerian graduates under 30 years to participate in a 21-day orientation camp, followed by a year of service in a state other than their own.

In the 1973-1974 service year, 2,700 graduates were dispatched to the then 12 states of the federation, thereby starting a scheme that has since been dogged by a number of challenges. Among the challenges is poor accommodation for participants even in the Orientation Camp that should serve as their first place of abode when undergoing the scheme. After leaving the orientation camp, the corps members then face the high cost of renting an apartment in their place of primary assignment when their employers fail to provide them with one. With the stipend they receive, it is often a struggle to afford decent accommodation.

In many areas, especially urban centres, finding a place that is both affordable and suitable can be tough. This scarcity often forces corps members into less than ideal living situations. Unlike some jobs that provide housing or housing allowances, NYSC members usually have to figure it out on their own, which can be overwhelming, especially in a city.

There’s also the concern about safety and adequate living conditions. With limited options, many corps members end up in areas or accommodations that aren’t the safest or most comfortable. This can impact their overall well-being and focus during their service.

State of Orientation Camps

From the NYSC Orientation Camp in Ipaja, Lagos to the one in Obubra, Cross River State and other parts of the country, the story is the same. They are mostly overcrowded and dotted with run down facilities. In trying to beat the challenge of overcrowded camps, the scheme, many years ago, introduced onboarding participants in various batches within a service year. Initially, it was two batches in a year, but now runs three main batches in a year, which are further divided into two streams each, effectively creating six mobilization periods annually. Yet, poor accommodation of corps members has not abated. The 2,700 that were sent all over Nigeria in the 1973/1974 service year are not up to half of those coming to Lagos alone in a year now.

The development has made the current Director-General of the NYSC, Brigadier General Olakunle Oluseye Nafiu, to conclude that the scheme would not post participants to states with camps that are not fit for human habitation. To drive home his point, the scheme recently stopped corps members from going ahead with their orientation programme in Niger State because the camp is in bad shape.

Scheme needs urgent overhaul — Chairman, Governing Board

Assessing how far the scheme has met expectations, the Chairman of the Governing Board of the NYSC, Chief Hilliard Etta, called for urgent reforms of the scheme, saying it has failed to achieve its original objective of fostering national unity and cohesion.

Etta, a former Acting National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress, APC, who spoke with newsmen in Abuja, said the legal framework establishing the NYSC must be amended to reflect current national realities.

His words: “I believe that the legal framework of the scheme has to be amended and interrogate the essence for which it was established. The thought was to engender unity and cohesion in Nigeria. The question is, many years down the line, have we as a nation achieved the goal for which the scheme was established? The scheme should be used for national economic development. It is faulty now. What is the essence? What is the need? This scheme can be used to turn around the fortunes of Nigeria industrially. Today, our graduates are not employable; they have no skills”.

Etta also faulted state governments for neglecting their statutory responsibility to build and maintain habitable orientation camps for corps members, as provided for under the law establishing the scheme.

Corps member’s accommodation blues:  A parent’s regret

When his daughter was posted to Abuja, the Federal Capital Territory, for her service year, Alade (other name withheld) expressed reservations about how to secure accommodation for her. The lady was not given accommodation at her place of primary assignment, PPA. But his wife gave the assurance that a male family friend, living in one of the suburbs of Abuja could be of assistance, at least to shelter her for some time before she would secure her own apartment.

“It turned out to be a big mistake that led to serious regrets. Few days after she got there, the host started harassing the girl sexually. When she could no longer bear it, she reported to her mother. The night she told me all that was going on, I could not sleep.

“We eventually rallied round to send N600,000 to her to get a room apartment for herself. How much are they giving her in her place of primary assignment? You can imagine the trauma the girl was exposed to. I restrained myself not to blame my wife for the situation, as I knew from the beginning that accommodation would be a very serious challenge in Abuja. If she was posted somewhere in the Southwest, surely we would have a better alternative to what she went through in Abuja,” he said.

No accommodation, we were told FG allowance is enough — Blessing

A corps member in Abeokuta, Ogun State, who gave her name simply as Blessing, said, “As a corps member, when I got posted to Abeokuta South, there was no provision for accommodation or stipend. The reason given was that the federal government was already paying a significant amount of money to support all corps members. Fortunately, I was able to secure a free apartment through a family friend who lives in Abeokuta.”

“Rent too high in Plateau”

Elizabeth Fadara (not real name), who is serving in the Jos South Local Government Area of Plateau State, shared her experience: “I was posted to Jos, Plateau State in 2025, Batch A, Stream 2. Upon leaving the orientation camp, it was very difficult to secure accommodation. It took the intervention of a fellow corps member, whom I met in camp. She allowed me to stay with her for four months while I searched for affordable accommodation to pay out of pocket (a room self-contained). Another issue I had was the proximity of my PPA to the house.

“As a result, I didn’t have many options as they were all very far from my PPA. I finally got a place that cost N300,000, which highlights the housing deficit in Jos. Electricity too has been a major problem, and we can’t pump water. I hope the authorities will do the needful regarding housing, because as a corps member, this isn’t fair in my opinion.”

The story is however different for another youth corps member, a medical graduate serving in Shendam Local Government Area, Suzanne Salami, (identity protected) who is also in Batch A, Stream 2. She said: “I serve in the Shendam Local Government Secretariat. When we came from camp, we were welcomed warmly with food and drinks. As a medical personnel, I was posted to a ward and given accommodation. There is running water and the accommodation given to us actually has electricity at night, which lasts for about six to eight hours.

Rhoda (who refused to give her surname) but serves in Jos North Local Government, had the challenge of accommodation as the one presented to her wasn’t good. She noted: “I didn’t accept the accommodation, which made it harder to get one. As I tried to get an apartment, I had to consider the cost of transportation to my Place of Primary Assignment.

“Although transportation is cheaper in Jos compared to other cities, accommodation is needed to match what I’m able to afford. I’m grateful to a fellow corps member who allowed me to stay with her for several months before I could get one for myself.”

Kaduna corps member appeals for accommodation support

Abubakar Usman, who hails from Gombe State and is serving in a Federal Government establishment in Kaduna South Local Government Area, lamented that no housing provision has been made available for corps members in his place of primary assignment which has forced many of them to independently search for accommodation in an already expensive housing market.

“It is unfortunate that we are not provided with accommodation here. Some corps members serving in private organisations are lucky to be given housing, and those who have relatives in Kaduna can stay with them. But for those of us who came from other states and do not know anyone here, the situation is very difficult.” He recounted his experience upon arrival in Kaduna after leaving the orientation camp when he had nowhere to stay and was compelled to look for an accomodation only to discover that even a modest self-contained apartment costs as much as ₦400,000.

“Usman stressed that the financial burden is heavy for many young graduates who are only beginning their journey into the workforce. He appealed to the Kaduna State Government and relevant authorities to consider providing accommodation support for corps members.

No accommodation for Kwara corps members

Some members of the National Youth Service Corps serving in Ilorin, Kwara State, lamented that they were not provided accommodation and had to secure apartments on their own to ease the burden of daily transportation. Miss Akinlose Ayomiposi told Vanguard in an interview that she was not offered any form of accommodation at her place of primary assignment. To reduce the stress and cost of commuting, she said she decided to rent an apartment close to her office.

“I was not given accommodation. I rented an apartment close to my place of primary assignment in order to reduce the transport fare,” she explained.

Similarly, another corps member,Olarewaju Hafsoh said it has not been easy for her as her employer did not provide accomodation for her but she has been learning to cope with the situation. Another Corps member, Korede Folayemi confirmed that he also had to make personal arrangements for his accommodation by renting an apartment outside his PPA location.

“The Church arranged a place for us”

In Kano, Blessed and her colleagues were not provided accommodation in their places of primary assignment, and have been staying in a place provided by a church for Christian corps members posted to Tarauni and Nassarawa Local Government Areas who were stranded without accommodation.

Lodges for corps members not habitable

A cross section of members of the National Youth Service Corps posted to some local government areas in Abia State said that they lack accomodations in their places of primary assignment.

Vanguard observed that lodges for corps members in most local government areas are dilapidated and not fit for human habitation. Some corps members in Osisioma Ngwa, Aba North and Obingwa Local Government Areas, stated that the problem of accommodation mostly affects corps members posted to schools in rural areas for their primary assignments.

A corps member serving as a teacher in one of the secondary schools in Obingwa LGA who simply gave his name as Mark, said the community where the school is located has made efforts to secure accommodation for him and his two colleagues because of the high cost of transportation from the city.

Contacted, one of the coordinators of the NYSC in the local government areas, who didn’t want her name in print, said: “There are lodges for corps members in most local government areas, but they are not habitable, especially for local government areas outside the city. In such cases, the local authorities make arrangements to provide accommodation for the corps members posted to them. Sometimes, their places of primary assignment provide accommodation, but some corps members also secure accommodation for themselves in their places of primary assignment.”

Sokoto corps members groan under soaring rents

In Sokoto, several corps members have complained about the challenge they face in securing decent and affordable housing at their places of primary assignment (PPA). Miss Grace Andrews, a corps member serving at Government Day Secondary School, Guiwa, said her excitement upon receiving her posting letter quickly faded when she discovered that no official accommodation was provided by the school.

“I resumed with high hopes, thinking there would be staff quarters or at least temporary accommodation. But I was told I would have to find a place on my own”, she said.

Grace explained that house rents in the area were far beyond what she anticipated. With limited options, she had to secure a small self contained apartment. “The advance payment, agency fee and other charges consumed almost three months of my allowance. It has not been easy coping with feeding and transportation since then,” she lamented.

Similarly, Alhaji Musa Hairan, posted to Zaidul Ilimi Academy, Old Airport area of Sokoto metropolis, shared a similar experience. According to him, there was no provision for accommodation for corps members upon resumption. “I moved from one area to another searching for a place I could afford,” he said. “Most landlords demand one or two years’ rent upfront. As a corps member, that is very difficult.”

Musa eventually secured a modest apartment after receiving financial assistance from family members. He disclosed that without such support, he would have been forced to share an overcrowded apartment with other corps members. “I know some of my colleagues who are four or five staying in a single room just to cut costs. It affects privacy and sometimes even their safety,” he added.

Investigations reveal that the situation is not limited to these two corps members. Many of them serving in schools, private establishments and small organisations across Sokoto State are left to sort out their accommodation by themselves. While some government schools in remote local government areas reportedly provide temporary staff quarters, such facilities are either inadequate or in poor condition.

In urban centres like the Sokoto metropolis, official accommodation for corps members is almost non-existent. A female corps member serving in a private clinic in the state capital, who pleaded anonymity, said she currently shares a two bedroom apartment with three other corps members to reduce costs. “Our allowance is not enough to comfortably cover rent, feeding, transportation and personal needs. Without sharing, it would be nearly impossible,” she said.

The NYSC monthly allowance, though recently reviewed upward by the Federal Government, cannot match the realities of rising house rents and cost of living in many parts of the country. For corps members posted far from home, the financial strain is compounded by the absence of local support networks. Stakeholders have repeatedly called on employers and host communities to provide basic accommodation or housing stipends for corps members to ease the burden.

There should be accommodation support system – Parents

Commenting on the issue, the National President of the National Parent Teacher Association of Nigeria, NAPTAN, Alhaji Haruna Danjuma, called for a system that would provide accommodation support for corps members. “The orientation camps must be made habitable. The condition of most of the camps nationwide is terrible. They are mostly overcrowded and the facilities literally run down. One can imagine what the whole exercise would be in terms of accommodation when the camps that would first be home to the corps members are in bad shape.

“State governments must live up to expectations in that regard. We know that the high cost of living has affected rent on accommodation. Also, many business owners and even government agencies who are taking these corps members don’t have the wherewithal to accommodate all of them. I suggest that in conjunction with the private sector, lodges for corps members be built across the country and they can be let out at subsidised rates. That will help ease the challenge,” he said.

What NYSC expects of employers

When asked what is expected of employers regarding the provision of accommodation for corps members, the Director of Information and Public Relations of the NYSC, Caroline Embu, said it is the duty of the employers to provide accommodation or stipend in lieu of accommodation for corps members.

“A situation where a company did not provide accommodation or payment for a corps member, the corps member can then report to his or her local government inspector and from there the next line of action can be taken. It’s that simple.”

But in reality, many employers are not meeting this demand. And in a situation where it is not easy to even get a place of primary assignment, corps members seem to have no choice.

Vanguard News

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