The Rivers State branch of the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) has relocated 741 corps members to neighboring Abia and Bayelsa states to address acute accommodation shortages. Moses Oleghe, the Rivers State Coordinator, confirmed the move while addressing the media at the Permanent Orientation Camp in Nonwa-Gbam, Tai Local Government Area. The relocation affects members of the current batch, which is the largest to be posted to the state to date.
Oleghe stated that a total of 4,439 corps members were posted to Rivers State in this specific batch. Due to the inability of the existing camp infrastructure to house everyone, 373 members were sent to the Bayelsa NYSC camp and 368 to Abia State. These individuals will undergo the standard three-week orientation program in those locations before returning to Rivers State for their primary service assignments. The coordinator emphasized that this was a temporary measure driven strictly by space limitations.
According to the coordinator, registration figures as of Tuesday, November 10, showed 3,697 corps members had been processed. The demographic breakdown included 1,290 males and 2,407 females. Oleghe noted that Rivers State has become a preferred destination for many corps members, largely due to the financial incentives provided by the state government. He claimed that more than 90 percent of corps members posted to the state receive a concession, making it an attractive posting compared to other regions where allowances are not guaranteed.
The Rivers State Governor, Siminalayi Fubara, has pledged to expand housing capacity to prevent future disruptions. Oleghe highlighted that the governor approved the construction of a new hostel with a 2,000-person capacity. Once this facility is completed, the total camp capacity will reach 5,000, which the coordinator believes will resolve the current accommodation crisis. He maintained that despite the current logistical challenges, the Rivers State camp remains one of the best in terms of infrastructure and comfort for service members.
The relocation underscores the growing pressure on NYSC infrastructure in high-demand states. While the immediate solution involves temporary displacement to neighboring states, the long-term fix relies on the completion of the new hostel. The NYSC scheme continues to see increased demand in Rivers, driven by the state's policy of paying allowances to corps members, a practice not universal across all Nigerian states.