Dare Babalola
The National Youth Service Corps has urged prospective corps members to prioritise safety in their movement across the country as it unveiled the timetable for the 2026 Batch ‘A’ Stream II orientation exercise.
In a statement released on Wednesday by its Director of Information and Public Relations, Caroline Embu, the scheme confirmed that the three-week orientation programme will commence nationwide on April 22, with camps opening simultaneously in all 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory.
While outlining the schedule, the NYSC emphasised that registration of prospective corps members would begin on April 22 and close at midnight on April 24, the same day designated for the official swearing-in ceremony.
The scheme, however, placed strong emphasis on travel safety, cautioning participants against embarking on night journeys due to security concerns. It advised corps members to break their trips by 6:00 p.m. and seek shelter in safe locations such as military formations, police stations, corps lodges, or traditional institutions before continuing their journey the following day.
“Prospective Corps Members are advised to break their journeys once it’s 6.00 pm, and pass the night at any available Corps Members’ Lodge, military formation, police station/outpost or palace of a traditional ruler anywhere in the country, then continue the following morning,” the statement read.
The orientation course is expected to run until May 12, during which participants will undergo paramilitary drills, lectures, and other activities designed to prepare them for national service.
In addition, the NYSC announced that supplementary online registration for newly uploaded prospective corps members will take place between April 9 and April 11. The exercise is targeted at candidates who are yet to complete their registration process on the scheme’s portal.
The agency advised all affected applicants to complete their registration promptly and ensure they have the required documents ready ahead of mobilisation, in order to avoid last-minute challenges.
