EFCC Chief Urges Corps Members to Reject Get-Rich-Quick Culture

The Executive Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Mr. Ola Olukoyede, has charged newly mobilised National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) members and young Nigerians nationwide to firmly reject the get-rich-quick syndrome and all forms of dishonest shortcuts to wealth.

Speaking on Thursday through representatives at orientation camps for the 2026 Batch C, Stream 1 across the country, Olukoyede described the widespread pursuit of instant riches as a “syndrome of compromise” that threatens both individual futures and national progress.

At the NYSC Orientation Camp in Iyana Ipaja, Lagos, he addressed the corps members through Superintendent of the EFCC, SE Amaka Fingesi of the Lagos Zonal Directorate 2. He urged them to step away from the temptation of easy money and instead position themselves as value-adding youths in every sphere of life.

“It is a syndrome of compromise. Avoid it. Move away from it and seek to be a value-adding youth in every realm,” Olukoyede stated. He called for a new generation of reform-minded, enterprising and progressive young people — what he termed “new breed youths.”

ADVERTISEMENT

According to him, a new breed youth is hungry for fresh results, intolerant of compromise and passionate about transparency. Such a youth actively questions their environment, exposes shady dealings and corruption, and refuses the path of least resistance. Instead, they chart a purposeful course and commit fully to it. “In short, a new breed youth is the answer to the need for progress in our land,” he declared.
Similar messages were delivered in other states.

In Ilorin, Kwara State, speaking through Superintendent SE Gbenga Adewoye at the Kwara State Polytechnic orientation camp, Olukoyede noted that years of corruption, moral decline and resource mismanagement have hindered Nigeria’s development. He challenged the corps members to draw lessons from past failures and commit to building a better future through integrity, hard work, innovation and responsible citizenship.

In Keffi, Nasarawa State, represented by Chief Superintendent CSE Ngoundu Nguetar of the EFCC Abuja Zonal Directorate, he described corruption as an open assault on the possibilities and future of young people. He urged them to actively defend the nation against it and to make deliberate choices that promote national progress.

Across camps in Abuja, Maiduguri, Uyo, Ibadan, Gombe, Kano, Makurdi, Port Harcourt, Awka, Benin City, Ekiti, Enugu and elsewhere, Olukoyede reiterated strong warnings against cybercrime. He advised corps members to stay clear of internet fraud and instead harness technology innovatively and productively.

Legitimate pathways exist, he stressed, that can position them as future leaders and nation-builders rather than victims of criminal networks.

The EFCC boss further called on the corps members to serve as whistleblowers. “Exposing corrupt practices around you is not only obligatory; it is also patriotic,” he said. He encouraged them to report shady deals in their environments using the Eagle App (also referred to as Eagle Eye App), the commission’s digital platform that allows anonymous submissions and the upload of supporting images.

The orientation exercise for the 2026 Batch C Stream 1, which began on 30 September and runs until 20 October, has provided the platform for this renewed nationwide appeal as thousands of graduates begin their mandatory national service. Olukoyede’s consistent message across previous batches has emphasised that Nigeria needs young people who reject short-cuts, embrace integrity and actively contribute to a transparent and progressive society.

By framing the fight against corruption as both a personal and patriotic duty, the EFCC chairman has placed the responsibility for a cleaner national future squarely on the shoulders of the new generation of corps members now entering service.