The National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) has warned tertiary institutions across the country against engaging in fraudulent mobilisation of graduates, stressing that the Scheme would impose sanctions on any institution found violating established guidelines.

The Director-General of NYSC, Brig.-Gen. Olakunle Nafiu, issued the warning on Wednesday in Abuja at the 2026 Batch ‘A’ Pre-Mobilisation Workshop for Student Affairs Officers and other key stakeholders involved in the mobilisation of Prospective Corps Members (PCMs).

Nafiu said the Scheme had observed persistent cases of data irregularities, including the uploading of unqualified graduates, falsification of academic records and other sharp practices that undermine the credibility of the mobilisation process.

According to him, such practices not only distort the integrity of national service but also pose serious administrative and security challenges during orientation and deployment.

“The NYSC will not condone any form of manipulation of graduate data. Institutions must ensure that only eligible graduates are uploaded for mobilisation in strict compliance with NYSC guidelines,” the director-general said.

He urged heads of Corps Producing Institutions (CPIs) to strengthen internal verification mechanisms and provide effective supervision over their mobilisation officers to prevent errors and deliberate abuses.

Nafiu emphasised that the mobilisation process is a shared responsibility between the NYSC and tertiary institutions, adding that negligence or compromise on the part of any institution would attract appropriate sanctions.

He further called for continuous training of Student Affairs Officers to enable them to keep pace with evolving procedures and technological requirements in the mobilisation value chain.

Also speaking at the workshop, the Director, Corps Mobilisation Department, Mrs Rachel Idaewor, stressed the need for accuracy and transparency in the submission of graduates’ data.

Idaewor said discrepancies in records often result in avoidable delays, exclusion of genuine graduates and administrative bottlenecks during orientation camps.

She appealed to institutions to ensure timely reconciliation of students’ academic records with relevant regulatory agencies, noting that collaboration among stakeholders remained critical to the success of the Scheme.

The workshop brought together representatives of universities, polytechnics and colleges of education, as well as officials from regulatory bodies, to review challenges and reinforce best practices in the mobilisation of corps members.

The NYSC reiterated its commitment to safeguarding the integrity of the national service programme and ensuring that mobilisation exercises are conducted in line with due process and national interest.