The National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) has directed corps-producing institutions to thoroughly verify the records of their graduates before submitting them for mobilisation.
The Scheme warned that inaccurate data, manipulation of records and the uploading of unqualified persons could undermine the credibility of the national service scheme.
The NYSC Director-General, Brigadier General Olakunle Oluseye Nafiu, gave the warning at the opening ceremony of the 2026 Batch ‘C’ Pre-Mobilisation Workshop, with the theme: “Strengthening Institutional Accountability, Data Integrity and Digital Innovation for Seamless NYSC Mobilisation.”
The director-general said the NYSC, which mobilises hundreds of thousands of Nigerian graduates annually, must continually strengthen its systems to ensure that every eligible graduate is mobilised in a credible, transparent and timely manner.
“Accountability is more than regulatory compliance. It requires every institution and officer involved in mobilisation to take ownership of assigned responsibilities, adhere to approved procedures and remain answerable for decisions and actions taken.
“Every inaccurate record, unauthorised alteration of data, delayed response or failure to meet established timelines can adversely affect the mobilisation of graduates and the credibility of the scheme,” he said.
Nafiu also warned stakeholders against negligence, manipulation of records, abuse of process and other practices capable of compromising the integrity of the mobilisation exercise.
He urged institutions to strengthen their internal quality assurance mechanisms before transmitting data to the NYSC, saying that the credibility of the mobilisation process depends largely on the accuracy, completeness and authenticity of data received from corps-producing institutions and other stakeholders.
He identified incorrect personal records, unauthorised alterations after senate or academic board approval, uploading of unqualified persons, manipulation or delayed processing of records, weak internal controls and delays in uploading approved graduation lists as some of the challenges affecting the mobilisation process.
“These lapses generate complaints, increase operational costs and disrupt the mobilisation calendar, with implications for national planning,” he said.
The NYSC boss further stressed that data management must be treated as a critical responsibility from admission through graduation and final mobilisation.
He disclosed that the NYSC would continue to deploy technology to reduce manual interventions, improve transparency and enhance efficiency in the mobilisation process. However, he cautioned that technology alone could not compensate for poor governance and weak institutional processes.
Earlier, the director, Corps Mobilisation, Mrs Idaewor Rachel Onomhoare, said the workshop remained an important platform for strengthening cooperation among the NYSC, corps-producing institutions and other key stakeholders.
Onomhoare said although considerable progress had been made in the mobilisation process, there was still a need to improve service delivery across the entire mobilisation chain.
According to her, institutional accountability requires clearly assigned responsibilities, strict adherence to approved guidelines and an unwavering commitment to ethical conduct at every stage of mobilisation.
She stressed the importance of accurate and verifiable data to the credibility and effectiveness of the NYSC scheme.
“Errors, omissions, duplicate entries or intentional misrepresentation in the records of prospective corps members can compromise the integrity of the exercise and create unnecessary challenges for all concerned,” she said.
The director urged corps-producing institutions to ensure that records submitted to the NYSC accurately represented the genuine profiles of their graduates.
“I therefore urge all corps-producing institutions to ensure that the records submitted to the NYSC accurately represent the genuine profiles of their graduates.
“Verification, proper documentation and timely submission of information must be regarded as core institutional responsibilities and not merely routine administrative tasks,” she added.
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