The Federal Character Commission (FCC) has called on the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) to reinstate the Commission’s participation in the orientation camp activities for corps members.
Acting Executive Chairman of the FCC, Hon. Kayode Oladele, made the appeal during a courtesy visit by the Director General of the NYSC, Brigadier General Olakunle Oluseye Nafiu, to the Commission’s headquarters in Abuja.
Oladele emphasized the importance of educating corps members on the principles of unity and inclusiveness during their service year, describing it as vital for national development.
In a statement issued by the FCC’s Director of Public Affairs and Communications, Chizea Chukwudi Christopher, the Commission also raised concerns about being excluded from recent NYSC recruitment and promotion exercises.
Oladele stressed the need for compliance with the Federal Character principles in all recruitment activities across Ministries, Departments, and Agencies (MDAs). He lamented that despite NYSC obtaining three recruitment waivers and Certificates of Compliance in September 2022, the Commission was not invited to monitor the processes. He also expressed disappointment over NYSC’s failure to attend interactive sessions with the Commission over the past five years.
He urged the NYSC to update its nominal roll and ensure equitable representation of all states, pointing out that some states remain overrepresented while others are underrepresented. He maintained that these imbalances must be corrected over time to promote unity and fairness.
Oladele further called for the reintroduction of the Commission’s involvement in orientation camps to sensitize corps members on national values and inclusivity.
In his response, Brigadier General Nafiu congratulated Hon. Oladele on his appointment and expressed the NYSC’s readiness to strengthen collaboration with the FCC. He acknowledged the concerns raised and pledged that future recruitment and promotion exercises would comply with federal character guidelines.
Nafiu, who assumed office in March 2025, admitted that staff imbalances exist but assured that corrective steps would be implemented in phases.
