The Director-General of the National Youth Service Corps, Olakunle Nafiu, has advised parents and guardians to provide sufficient transport fares for prospective corps members travelling to orientation camps across the country.

Nafiu advised on Wednesday during a forum organised by the News Agency of Nigeria in Abuja.

According to him, providing additional travel funds would enable corps members to break their journeys when necessary rather than taking risks by travelling through unsafe conditions.
 

“Parents and guardians should provide extra transport money for their children to break journeys safely rather than expose themselves to danger,” he said.

The NYSC boss explained that some prospective corps members spend all their transport money on a single trip and refuse to stop over even when circumstances become unsafe, thereby exposing themselves to security threats.

He warned that such decisions could increase the risk of kidnapping and other dangers often associated with night travel.

Nafiu urged corps members to begin travel preparations immediately after receiving their call-up numbers and avoid last-minute journeys that could jeopardise their safety during mobilisation exercises.

“We tell them not to travel after 6 pm. Once it gets late, they should break their journey and continue the next day,” he stated.

The director-general said the NYSC had strengthened collaboration with security agencies, including the Nigeria Police Force and the military, to improve the safety of corps members travelling to orientation camps nationwide.

He noted that security agencies provide escorts, patrols, and intelligence support along major travel routes, while surveillance and security checkpoints have been intensified in vulnerable areas.

Nafiu also cautioned prospective corps members against paying money to individuals who claim they can influence posting decisions.

He stressed that postings are generated automatically through the NYSC deployment system and cannot be manipulated through unofficial channels.

According to him, only legally married female corps members and those with verified medical conditions are eligible for special consideration in postings closer to their families or healthcare facilities.