By Obasola Olatunde
Rivers State Governor, Siminalayi Fubara, has approved the upgrade and renovation of facilities at the NYSC Permanent Orientation Camp in Nonwa-Gbam, Tai Local Government Area amid a surge in the number of Corps members choosing the state for their national service.
Fubara announced the approval on Wednesday during a visit by the Director General of the NYSC, Brigadier General Olakunle Nafiu, to the Government House, Port Harcourt.
He said the state’s peaceful atmosphere and reputation for hospitality had made it a preferred deployment destination, with parents increasingly comfortable sending their children to Rivers.
He added that government’s core responsibility is to protect lives and property while providing basic amenities, assuring that his administration had remained consistent in delivering those obligations.
The Governor directed the Secretary to the State Government, Dr Benino Anabraba, to inspect the orientation camp and submit a detailed report for immediate action. He also promised to provide office space for the newly created NYSC regional office and to consider renovating or relocating the State Secretariat, which he described as outdated.
Fubara said although the NYSC is a federal agency, the beneficiaries of its facilities are largely Rivers people and visitors within the state, making it necessary for the government to intervene and ensure a conducive environment.
Brigadier General Nafiu, who is inspecting orientation camps across the country, disclosed that 2,586 corps members are currently undergoing the 2025 Batch C programme in Rivers, making it the fourth most preferred posting destination after Lagos, FCT and Oyo. He added that 8,349 indigenes of the state are deployed nationwide.
Highlighting the value corps members bring to national development, Nafiu said their service saves Rivers State about ₦15bn annually when compared with full-salary equivalents. He thanked the governor for providing land for the State Coordinator’s residence and for supporting improvements in camp infrastructure.
The DG also requested the reconstitution of state and local government NYSC boards and the relocation of the NYSC office at the congested Mile 2 market in Diobu.
He noted that the scheme, which began in 1973/74 with 2,764 participants, now has over 400,000 serving corps members and more than 650,000 graduates expected to be eligible for mobilisation in 2026 an expansion that requires significant facility upgrades nationwide.