The Director-General of the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC), Olakunle Nafiu, says corps members are protected by a comprehensive insurance package designed to support their welfare throughout their service year.
Gatekeepers News reports that in a statement issued on Thursday, NYSC’s Director of Information and Public Relations, Caroline Embu, said Nafiu made the disclosure in Abuja during a visit by the Director-General of Voice of Nigeria (VON), Mallam Ndace.
According to Nafiu, the insurance package covers life insurance and medical care, adding that the Federal Government has put measures in place to ensure that corps members enjoy a safe and memorable service year.
He explained that the scheme also provides interventions in situations where certain ailments are not covered by existing health insurance arrangements.
Nafiu cited examples of the NYSC’s support for corps members, noting that the scheme once paid N28 million to save the life of a pregnant corps member and her unborn child after she sustained spinal cord injuries in a road accident. He also said N33 million was spent to procure prosthetic arms for another corps member injured in an accident while travelling to his place of primary assignment after leaving the orientation camp.
“Since 2004, every Corps Member has been covered by comprehensive insurance, including health and life insurance. The National Health Insurance Authority (NHIA) caters for Corps Members whenever they fall ill,” he said.
“From the moment call-up letters are issued—before they even begin their journey from their parents’ homes—they are already covered by insurance.”
The NYSC boss cautioned against the circulation of unverified reports about the scheme in parts of the media and urged journalists to confirm information with the organisation before publication.
He added that the NYSC posting policy is designed to address national needs by ensuring that all states benefit from corps members’ contributions, particularly in the healthcare and education sectors.
Nafiu also noted that corps members’ participation in national assignments such as elections, sensitisation programmes and population census exercises has been widely commended both locally and internationally.
He commended the VON director-general for his leadership and efforts to transform the media landscape through digital innovation, describing the agency as a key instrument in Nigeria’s strategic communication framework.
“General Nafiu assured that Corps Members would not be deployed to unsafe areas and reiterated that the Scheme remains apolitical and non-religious in order to sustain its longstanding role in promoting national unity,” the statement said.
In his remarks, Ndace congratulated Nafiu on his appointment and praised his leadership since assuming office. He added that VON is collaborating with international media organisations to promote positive stories about Nigeria and pledged the agency’s readiness to project NYSC activities to a global audience.
Nafiu was appointed NYSC director-general in March 2025, succeeding Yushau Ahmed, who served as head of the scheme for two years.
Following his appointment, Nafiu pledged to lead with transparency and prioritise the welfare of corps members, promising to enhance job creation initiatives, improve camp hygiene and reposition the scheme to meet contemporary challenges.
Meanwhile, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu earlier this month approved an additional 50,000 slots for the 2026 NYSC mobilisation to address the growing number of graduates awaiting enlistment into the mandatory national service scheme.
