The National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) Director-General, Olakunle Nafiu, has cautioned corps members against blindly sharing information on social media, particularly as Nigeria approaches the 2027 general elections.

Mr Nafiu gave the warning on Wednesday while addressing corps members during an inspection visit to the NYSC permanent orientation camp in Katsina.

He urged the corps members to develop critical thinking skills and verify information before reposting, sharing, or commenting on content circulated on social media platforms.

According to him, corps members as graduates have a responsibility to help reset society by ensuring that false or manipulated information does not gain wider circulation through their platforms.

He said, “Do not believe everything you see on social media. Before you share, think through it. Check the picture and ask when it was first taken and whether there has been any manipulation. “

Mr Nafiu cited the circulation of old photographs and videos falsely presented as recent incidents involving the NYSC as examples of how misinformation could mislead members of the public.

He said corps members should be particularly careful about artificial intelligence-generated and digitally manipulated content.

He noted that technology had made it increasingly difficult to distinguish between genuine and fabricated materials.

The DG also reminded corps members of the restrictions governing their participation in partisan political activities during national service.

He said corps members were not permitted to use their social media handles to campaign for political parties or political interests while identifying themselves as corps members.

He added that corps members were likely to be deployed as ad-hoc officers by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) during the 2027 elections.

Mr Nafiu described such deployment as an opportunity for them to contribute to the conduct of credible, free, and fair elections.

He urged them to make themselves available when called upon, saying that their participation as electoral officials could help thousands of Nigerians exercise their constitutional rights to vote.

“Your ballot is just one, but doing that assignment will help hundreds and thousands to fulfill their constitutional mandate,” he said.

The DG said that corps members could contribute more to democracy by helping to facilitate the electoral process than by merely participating as individual voters.

He urged them to remain politically neutral, responsible, and disciplined throughout the service year.

He added that NYSC expected corps members to uphold the integrity of the scheme and contribute positively to national unity and democratic development.

Mr Nafiu further urged them to leverage their education and acquired skills to contribute meaningfully to Nigeria’s development.

He said the country had made significant investment in educating young Nigerians and expected them to use the opportunities provided to build themselves and contribute to society. 

L(NAN)