The Director-General of the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC), Brig.-Gen. Olakunle Nafiu, has warned corps employers against conniving with corps members to evade their Places of Primary Assignment (PPA).
Nafiu made the call at the 2025 NYSC Corps Employers’ Workshop, on Thursday, in Kaduna.
The D-G was represented by Mrs Florence Yaakugh, Acting Director of the NYSC North-West Area Office I.
The workshop, themed “The Place of Emotional Intelligence in Managing Corps Members at the Workplace for Maximum Productivity,” aimed to address emerging challenges in corps member deployment and supervision.
Nafiu stressed the importance of effective collaboration between NYSC and corps employers, noting that both parties had defined roles to ensure the programme’s success.
“While NYSC provides orientation and postings, employers are expected to request corps members formally, provide suitable accommodation, assign tasks aligned with their qualifications, and supervise them effectively,” he stated.
The D-G expressed concern over declining productivity among corps members, citing increasing truancy, weak work ethics, and reduced commitment.
He alleged that some employers were aiding corps members in evading service.
He said the workshop was designed to rebuild trust and cooperation, improve communication through digital platforms, and ensure quarterly reporting for better monitoring.
Nafiu also reiterated that corps member welfare, such as accommodation, transport allowance, access to healthcare, and a safe work environment, remained a top priority.
He said inspections had revealed poor compliance with NYSC expectations, leading to underutilisation and absenteeism, and stressed that recommendations from the workshop should offer practical, actionable solutions.
“This workshop should be a turning point in corps administration and a platform for shaping the national service into a more impactful experience,” he added.
In her remarks, the NYSC State Coordinator, Mrs Efeke Dadaza, highlighted the workshop’s relevance in tackling longstanding and emerging challenges.
She emphasised the need for sustained collaboration between the scheme and corps employers to enhance productivity and achieve programme goals.