A viral video showing prospective National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) members sleeping on mattresses spread across the floor of an overcrowded hall at the Sagamu orientation camp in Ogun State has drawn widespread criticism over inadequate accommodation and welfare facilities at the camp.

The footage circulating on social media shows several prospective corps members sleeping closely together, with little space between them, raising questions about the camp’s ability to accommodate the participants.

The controversy comes despite the Ogun State government’s reported approval of ₦50,000 welfare support for each of the 3,050 corps members participating in the 2026 Batch C, Stream I orientation exercise.

The government also reportedly donated 500 mattresses to improve accommodation at the camp.

The viral footage has, however, raised fresh concerns about the adequacy of the facilities and the management of orientation camps across the country.

Renowned political economist Pat Utomi condemned what he called “abnormal conditions” in Nigeria.

“You could show this video to a foreigner, and they would probably mistake the place for a prison hall. Our young corps members should never be subjected to such deplorable conditions. They deserve dignity, better facilities and a much better camping experience,” Mr Utomi wrote.

Also, Bayo Adegboyega, the media consultant to the director-general of the National Sports Commission (NSC), said the state government had invested in the camp, which had been adjudged one of the best orientation camps in Nigeria.

“Ironically, Ogun is now a victim of its own standards. Corps members increasingly want to serve here, pushing the camp population from about 1,500 to over 4,500.

“Ogun’s challenge today is, in many ways, a consequence of the standard it has set,” he wrote on X.

A civic accountability organisation, monITNG, condemned the situation, alleging that some prospective corps members were turned back because of insufficient accommodation, while others were forced to sleep outside available halls and in storage areas.

The organisation questioned the NYSC authorities’ preparedness for the exercise, despite prior knowledge of the number of prospective corps members expected at the camp.

It called on the NYSC’s director-general and the Federal Ministry of Youth Development to investigate the incident and ensure that officials responsible for the lapses face appropriate sanctions.

Similarly, an X user, @ayohid01, who appeared to be at the camp, wrote, “Bro, I can’t believe I am experiencing this right now at Ogun State Camp; unna no try at all.”

Another user, @Chude, compared the conditions to those in displacement camps, saying, “Even people in IDP camps in Gaza are not living like this. We have serious problems in this country.”