‘It Is A Federal Responsibility’: Ogun Govt Reacts To Overcrowding At NYSC Camp

The Ogun State Government has finally broken its silence on the viral overcrowding video from the Sagamu NYSC camp, attributing the crisis to a surge in deployment numbers and insisting that the registration and accommodation of corps members are exclusively federal responsibilities.

The deployment surge explanation was provided by the Special Adviser on Media and Strategy to Governor Dapo Abiodun, Kayode Akinmade, in a statement on Monday, ValidViewNetwork reports.

THE GOVERNMENT’S EXPLANATION

This response follows ValidViewNetwork’s earlier report, in which we documented the public outrage sparked by footage of corps members sleeping on the floor of a converted multipurpose hall and noted that we were awaiting a press release from the NYSC Ogun State Coordinator and the Ogun State Government.

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Akinmade described the scene in the viral video as a “temporary arrangement” during a registration exercise that extended into the night.

He explained that prospective corps members must first undergo credential verification and screening by NYSC officials before being allocated hostels, and those whose registration ran late were temporarily accommodated in the multipurpose hall with mattresses provided for them to rest while the exercise continued.

The core of the government’s defence is numerical.

According to Akinmade, the camp typically accommodates slightly over 2,000 corps members per batch, but the current batch has received more than 4,300 prospective corps members, placing “considerable pressure” on available facilities .

He emphasised that registration, screening, credential verification and hostel allocation are “exclusively handled by NYSC officials and did not fall under the direct responsibility of the state government” .

THE STATE’S SUPPORT

Despite distancing itself from operational responsibility, the government listed its interventions. It provided 500 mattresses during the current exercise, while the Akarigbo of Remo donated 100 mattresses, followed by an additional 200.

Akinmade also recalled that Governor Abiodun had recently approved ₦50,000 each for the 3,050 corps members in the previous 2026 Batch C Stream I to assist with transportation.

He further noted that Ogun State had been adjudged the best in the country in NYSC administration, describing the recognition as evidence of the government’s sustained commitment to the scheme .

THE NUMBERS BEHIND THE CRISIS

Official figures from the opening and swearing-in ceremony for the 2026 Batch C Stream II orientation course confirm the scale of the deployment surge.

A total of 4,152 prospective corps members registered for the exercise in Ogun State.

The State NYSC Coordinator, Mrs Frances Omolabake Adewuyi, said 3,698 were deployed directly to Ogun, while 454 were transferred from Lagos State.

Of those deployed directly, 1,460 were male and 2,238 female.

The government’s claim that the camp usually takes “slightly over 2,000” is supported by social media users who tracked the numbers. One user claimed the number deployed to Ogun rose from 2,578 during the 2025 Batch A Stream II exercise to 4,152 in the 2026 Batch C Stream II exercise.

THE ANALYTICAL LENS

The Ogun State Government’s response is a textbook example of political deflection dressed as clarification.

The statement is technically accurate. The NYSC is a federal agency. It decides how many corps members are posted to each state. It manages registration, screening and hostel allocation. The state government cannot be blamed for the operational failures of a federal scheme.

But the government’s response also reveals the limits of that defence. If the state government knew that 4,300 corps members were coming, and if it knew the camp could only accommodate 2,000, why did it not act before they arrived?

The donation of 500 mattresses was a gesture, but it was not enough. The Akarigbo’s additional 300 mattresses were welcome, but they did not solve the problem.

The deeper issue is one of coordination. The NYSC knew the numbers. The state government knew the numbers. Neither seems to have ensured that the facilities were ready.

The result was a scene that a prominent economist, Pat Utomi, said “a foreigner would probably mistake for a prison hall”.

The state government is correct that the NYSC bears the primary responsibility. But the state government is not blameless. It hosts the camp. It has a role in supporting the scheme. And when the scheme fails, the people of Ogun State see the consequences.

WHAT HAPPENS NEXT

The NYSC Public Relations Officer in Ogun State, Mrs Tejumade Awoleye, declined to comment on the incident when contacted, saying:

“I can’t speak on the incident, it is the state coordinator and the Director General of the NYSC that can address the issue”.

The state coordinator and the Director-General have not yet spoken publicly. Until they do, the questions will remain unanswered. The corps members are still at the camp. The mattresses are still on the floor. And the Five Star camp is still overcrowded. ValidViewNetwork reports.