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…Warns against embarking on night journeys
…NYSC to decentralise PCMs registration process
From Romanus Ugwu, Abuja
The Federal Government has commended the efforts of the security agencies in rescuing 15 kidnapped corps members, describing the rescue as a confirmation that Nigeria is still a country.
Minister of Youth Development, Ayodele Olawande Emmanuel, made the commendation in his remarks at the Opening Ceremony of the National Youths Service Corps (NYSC) 2026 Batch ‘C’ Pre-Orientation Workshop held in Abuja on Monday.
While appealing to the serving and Prospective Corps Members (PCMs) to eschew the pressure of night travel, the Minister said: “I want to thank all the security agencies for their efforts in the rescue of the kidnapped 15 corps members.”
“We received serious backlash in thebl social media including those that did not know how I was born. The prompt response of the security agencies showed to me that we have a country. We will always have bad people but I am begging the PCMs to know that the country, just like other parts of the world, is not as save as they think it is. We are all just managing ourselves.
“Therefore, don’t travel at night. I urge the authorities to help me beg the corps members and I am planning to visit seven orientation camps to prostrate and beg them not to travel at night. Yes, everyone has been saying it, but we need to do it aggressively this time around.
“The security agencies deserve commendations and I can tell you categorically that Mr President is so happy about the rescue and very proud of the efforts of the security agencies. He believes that with togetherness we can build a country we want,” he said.
On his part, thebl Director-General of the scheme, Brigadier-General Brigadier General Olakunle Oluseye Nafiu, revealed that plans are underway to decentralise the registration process by next year.
In his welcome address,l at the event, he said that the plans will particularly help foreign-trained PCMs to seamless register from the comfort of their homes instead of traveling twice for the orientation course.
“In the coming year, the management is considering completely decentralising the registration process to enable prospective corps members to register from the comfort of their homes, eliminating the challenges of queuing at cyber cafe to register.
“It will equally make registration easier and seamless for our foreign trained PCMs some of who have to travel into the country to do registration and sometimes travel back before returning to the country to serve their fatherland. We feel that it is needless journey and a relief for parents,” he said.
Speaking on the event proper, Brigadier-General Nafiu said: “This NYSC Batch C Pre orientation workshop is the third and final pre-orientation gathering for 2026. It will provide opportunity for the management, collaborative partners and stakeholders to reflect on past orientation courses, discuss new challenges, share beat practices and develop practical strategies for ongoing improvement witnessed across the scheme.
“Having being in the system for some years now, I know that the environment we are operating in is changing faster than before. There are new technologies, socio economic uncertainties, misinformation, insecurity, and new ways of interacting are before us. Because of these changes, the NYSC management has continued to review it’s orientation course.
“The orientation course can succeed if the stakeholders, comprising Federal and State governments, security agencies, traditional institutions remain committed working with the security agencies to access risk, take preventive measures to ensure the safety of corps members throughout the service year,” he said.
