Governor of Borno State, Babagana Umara Zulum, has proposed relocating the permanent orientation camp of the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) from its current location in Maiduguri city centre to Government Secondary School, Auno, citing sustainability, security and long-term expansion as key considerations.
The governor made the proposal on Friday during an inspection of the facility alongside the NYSC Director-General, Olakunle Oluseye Nafiu, and other senior officials of the scheme.
Zulum explained that the decision was anchored on strategic planning rather than immediate convenience, noting that the state could soon host between 3,000 and 5,000 corps members annually.
“One of the key reasons I am proposing this location for the NYSC permanent orientation camp is sustainability. In the next one or two years, we may be hosting between 3,000 and 5,000 corps members. Keeping such a population within the town will create pressure on infrastructure,” he said.
He noted that the ongoing construction of a bypass approximately two to 2.5 kilometres from the proposed site would significantly improve access. He added that a Teaching Hospital expected to be commissioned within the next two to three months, as well as the State University located along the same corridor, reinforce the area’s emerging status as a major institutional hub.
“This corridor is fast becoming a major institutional and development hub. If we are serious about long-term planning, we must move to a more spacious and strategic location,” the governor added.
Zulum disclosed that the facility comprises two hostels with eight dormitories, a dining hall and kitchen, 26 classrooms with attached offices, seven laboratories, 12 additional rooms, an overhead water tank, and a functional solar-powered borehole. He said the classrooms alone could accommodate between 1,300 and 1,500 corps members at a time.
On security, the governor assured that the location could be effectively fortified, given its proximity to security formations and a military checkpoint.
“If this place is deemed suitable after your assessment, we will strengthen the perimeter fence, improve security architecture, and install modern technological gadgets to prevent intrusion. Once properly secured, this location will be ideal,” he said.
He also pledged to provide accommodation for NYSC officials, including the possible acquisition of additional housing within the Federal Mass Housing Estate.
“As governor, I would rather invest public resources in a location that guarantees sustainability, expansion, and long-term value—not one that will soon become congested and inadequate,” Zulum stressed.
In his remarks, the NYSC Director-General commended the governor’s initiative, describing it as rare and forward-looking.
“His Excellency’s offering is uncommon. It is futuristic and shows he is thinking far ahead of where we currently are. That is exactly where this scheme is growing into,” Nafiu said.
He revealed that the Federal Government had steadily increased the annual mobilisation of corps members nationwide—from 300,000 to 350,000, then 400,000, and now 450,000 in 2026—underscoring the need for expanded and secure orientation facilities.
Nafiu emphasized that security remains central to corps deployment across the country and praised the governor for involving senior security officials, including the Garrison Commander and Theatre Intelligence Commander, in the site assessment.
Also speaking, Secretary to the State Government, Hon. Bukar Tijani, said the facility was originally developed by the state government but had not been put into operation. He added that while the structure is fully fenced, parts of the perimeter wall had deteriorated due to animal intrusion and prolonged disuse.
