By :Goodluck E. Adubazi, Abuja
The National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) has directed Corps Producing Institutions across the country to urgently strengthen their internal data validation systems, warning that poor data integrity poses a serious threat to the credibility of the national mobilisation process.
The Director-General of NYSC, Brigadier General Olakunle Nafiu, issued the directive at the 2026 Batch ‘A’
Pre-Mobilisation Workshop held in Abuja on Tuesday, with the theme “Enhancing Service Delivery Across the NYSC Mobilisation Value Chain.”
Nafiu stressed that heads of tertiary institutions must exercise firmer oversight over mobilisation activities, while Desk Officers and Student Affairs personnel should undergo continuous training to keep pace with evolving standards and digital technologies.
According to him, the mobilisation process is a complex ecosystem involving the production, validation, deployment and management of Prospective Corps Members (PCMs), noting that any weakness at the data source compromises the entire system.
While acknowledging significant progress recorded through digital mobilisation, the NYSC boss expressed concern over persistent challenges, including poor data quality from institutions, limited technical capacity among system operators, resistance to full automation, and weak feedback mechanisms.
He listed common violations to include the upload of unqualified graduates, inconsistent academic records, data discrepancies, deliberate manipulation of records for personal or illegal gains, and weak internal verification frameworks.
“These practices undermine the integrity of the mobilisation process and will no longer be tolerated,” Nafiu warned, adding that the Scheme would not hesitate to apply sanctions against erring institutions involved in fraudulent mobilisation.
The DG reaffirmed NYSC’s commitment to strict adherence to its Standard Operating Procedures, stronger collaboration across departments, area offices and state secretariats, enhanced monitoring and evaluation, as well as reinforced discipline, professionalism and ethical conduct.
He also called for deeper inter-agency collaboration, regular stakeholder review meetings and a stronger embrace of data-driven decision-making, guided by clear timelines and accountability structures.
“As we look ahead, the NYSC mobilisation process must be efficient, transparent, accountable and people-focused,” Nafiu said.
“This means delivering timely and accurate outcomes, free from undue influence, with clear responsibility for actions and inactions, while remaining responsive to the needs of Prospective Corps Members and other stakeholders.”
Earlier, the Director of the Corps Mobilisation Department, Mrs Rachel Idaewor, urged Student Affairs Officers to discharge their duties with diligence and integrity, stressing that information submitted by institutions must accurately reflect the true academic profiles of prospective corps members.
She highlighted the importance of NYSC’s collaboration with key stakeholders such as the Federal Ministry of Education, Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB), National Board for Technical Education (NBTE), National Universities Commission (NUC) and SIDMACH Technologies, describing the partnerships as critical to successful mobilisation.
“We must work as a cohesive team, building on past successes while boldly confronting emerging challenges,” Idaewor said.
In a statement by Caroline Embu
Director, Information and Public Relations, NYSC, noted that’,
Participants at the workshop included Student Affairs Officers from Corps Producing Institutions nationwide, as well as representatives of the National Universities Commission and SIDMACH Technologies, among others.
