The Director-General of the National Youth Service Corps, Brigadier General Olakunle Nafiu, has again cautioned corps members to exercise restraint and responsibility on social media, framing their online conduct as directly tied to their neutral role in the 2027 general elections.
Speaking during his working visit to the 2026 Batch ‘B’ Stream II Orientation Course at the NYSC Permanent Orientation Camp in Katsina on Wednesday, Nafiu described corps members as critical stakeholders in shaping Nigeria’s future and called on them to think critically before reposting or forwarding online content, rather than amplifying unverified or inflammatory material.
The warning fits a pattern Nafiu has repeated at multiple orientation camps this cycle as the country edges closer to 2027. Addressing an earlier batch in Kubwa and Keffi, he had already informed corps members that they would participate in the 2027 general elections and, as stakeholders bound to the scheme’s neutrality, needed that non-partisanship reflected even in their social media engagements. At the Lagos camp in Iyana-Ipaja, he went further, explicitly warning against cyber-related offences — cyberstalking, cyberbullying and cyber fraud — telling corps members bluntly, “If you are found guilty, you will face the consequences. Be careful about the way you use social media.” A similar message was delivered at the Karaye camp in Kano/FCT, where he urged corps members to use social media responsibly and promote content that reflects the positive values of their host communities and the NYSC.
Nafiu has tied the social media guidance to a broader ban on partisan activity throughout the service year. At orientation camps in Lagos and Abia, he has repeatedly stressed that the NYSC remains an apolitical institution and warned corps members against joining campaigns, rallies or any activity that could associate them with a political party — telling one cohort plainly, “Do not get involved in the campaign of any political party. Don’t mix NYSC with politics. You should stay clear of politics.” He has, however, pointed corps members toward a sanctioned form of civic participation, encouraging them to register as INEC ad hoc personnel for the coming elections as a legitimate way to contribute to the electoral process while earning extra income.
Beyond politics and social conduct, Nafiu used the Katsina visit — as he has at several other camps — to press corps members on financial discipline and self-reliance, urging them to save a portion of their allowances and take the NYSC Skills Acquisition and Entrepreneurship Development (SAED) programme seriously as a pathway to self-employment rather than relying solely on government jobs. He has also consistently urged corps members to embrace cultural integration with their host communities, be security-conscious, and avoid unauthorised travel and night journeys during their service year.
Nafiu, an Artillery officer and alumnus of the Armed Forces Command and Staff College and the US Army War College, was appointed NYSC Director-General by President Bola Tinubu in March 2025, succeeding Brigadier General Yushau Ahmed. His nationwide tour of orientation camps has made social media conduct and political neutrality recurring themes as Nigeria’s youth corps prepares to play a role in the 2027 electoral process.
