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Educationist and former National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) member in Cross River State, Asiwaju Busari Shaamsuddeen Akande, has called for consistent investment in educational infrastructure, stressing that supporting young Nigerians requires more than increasing corps members’ allowances. He said adequate facilities must also be provided to promote their growth and development.

Akande’s call followed reports that the NYSC Director-General, Brig.-Gen. Olakunle Nafiu, had suspended further deployment of corps members to Cross River State because of the poor condition of the permanent orientation camp in Obubra Local Government Area.

The decision reportedly came after the Director-General inspected the camp and discovered that its facilities had deteriorated to a level that no longer met the required standards for accommodating corps members.

Following the development, the Cross River State Government announced on October 15 that the orientation camp would be temporarily moved to the University of Education and Entrepreneurship in Akamkpa Local Government Area to enable extensive renovation, remodelling and upgrading of the Obubra facility.

Governor Bassey Otu subsequently ordered that rehabilitation work at the permanent camp begin immediately. The state government also assured that the relocation was temporary and that orientation activities would return to Obubra once the renovation was completed.

The Obubra camp, which previously had the capacity to accommodate approximately 2,500 corps members per stream, had reportedly experienced a significant decline in capacity, with fewer than 1,000 able to be accommodated following years of infrastructural deterioration.

Reacting to the situation, Akande, who participated in the 1998/1999 Batch B service year in Cross River State, said the camp’s condition reflected the effects of years of neglect of facilities intended to support youth development.

He noted that the reported reduction in the camp’s capacity, alongside the suspension of further deployments, demonstrated why governments needed to make the upkeep of public infrastructure a priority.

Akande, who now works as an administrator, recalled that after completing his orientation in Obubra, he was posted to Ugep in Yakurr Local Government Area. He said his experience with the local community helped him appreciate the role of the NYSC scheme in fostering national integration and cultural understanding.

According to him, the scheme can continue to contribute meaningfully to national unity only when corps members are provided with secure, functional and suitable facilities during their orientation programmes.

He called on the relevant authorities to complete the renovation of the Obubra camp without unnecessary delays and ensure that the rehabilitation adequately addressed the infrastructural shortcomings that led to its closure.

Akande further stressed that routine maintenance and timely investment in public facilities were crucial to preventing similar disruptions in the future and ensuring that young Nigerians could undertake their national service in appropriate conditions.

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