The National Youth Service Corps, NYSC, has warned universities and other corps-producing institutions against uploading unqualified graduates, manipulating records or submitting inaccurate data for mobilisation into the national service scheme.
The Director-General of the NYSC, Brigadier General Olakunle Nafiu, issued the warning on Friday at the opening of the 2026 Batch ‘C’ Pre-Mobilisation Workshop, themed “Strengthening Institutional Accountability, Data Integrity and Digital Innovation for Seamless NYSC Mobilisation.”
Nafiu said institutions must thoroughly verify the records of graduates before forwarding them to the NYSC, stressing that the credibility of the mobilisation process depends largely on the accuracy, completeness and authenticity of information supplied by schools and other stakeholders.
According to him, inaccurate records, unauthorised alterations, delayed responses and failure to comply with established timelines could negatively affect eligible graduates and undermine public confidence in the scheme.
“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.
The NYSC boss warned institutions against negligence, manipulation of records, abuse of process and other practices capable of compromising the integrity of the mobilisation exercise.
He urged corps-producing institutions to strengthen their internal quality-assurance mechanisms and ensure that the details submitted for mobilisation accurately reflect the status of their graduates.
Nafiu identified some of the recurring problems affecting the mobilisation process to include incorrect personal records, unauthorised alterations after approval by university senates or academic boards, uploading of unqualified persons, manipulation or delayed processing of records, weak internal controls and delays in uploading approved graduation lists.
He said such lapses generate complaints, increase operational costs and disrupt the mobilisation calendar, with wider implications for national planning.
The Director-General stressed that proper data management should begin from the point of admission and continue through graduation to final mobilisation, rather than being treated as an exercise to be addressed only when graduates are due for national service.
Nafiu said the NYSC, which mobilises hundreds of thousands of Nigerian graduates annually, would continue to strengthen its processes to ensure that every eligible graduate is mobilised in a credible, transparent and timely manner.
He also said the scheme would continue to deploy technology to reduce manual intervention, improve transparency and make the mobilisation process more efficient.
The NYSC boss, however, cautioned that technology could not compensate for weak institutional governance or poor internal processes.
Earlier, the Director of Corps Mobilisation, Mrs Idaewor Onomhoare, described the workshop as an important platform for improving collaboration among the NYSC, corps-producing institutions and other stakeholders involved in the mobilisation process.
Earlier, the Director of Corps Mobilisation, Mrs Idaewor Onomhoare, described the workshop as an important platform for improving collaboration among the NYSC, corps-producing institutions and other stakeholders involved in the mobilisation process.
Onomhoare said that although progress had been recorded in the mobilisation system, there was still a need to improve service delivery across the entire chain.
She stressed that institutional accountability required clearly assigned responsibilities, strict compliance with approved guidelines and a firm commitment to ethical conduct at every stage.
According to her, errors, omissions, duplicate entries or deliberate misrepresentation in prospective corps members’ records could compromise the integrity of the mobilisation exercise and create unnecessary difficulties for both graduates and the scheme.
“I therefore urge all corps-producing institutions to ensure that the records submitted to the NYSC accurately represent the genuine profiles of their graduates,” she said.
“Verification, proper documentation and timely submission of information must be regarded as core institutional responsibilities and not merely routine administrative tasks.”