National Youth Service Corps Director General Olakunle Nafiu has warned corps members to remain politically neutral and avoid using their NYSC identity or social media accounts to campaign for parties or candidates.
Nafiu issued the warning during a visit to the 2026 Batch B Stream II orientation programme in Katsina.
He said corps members were prohibited from using NYSC uniforms, symbols or status to promote political interests.
The director general also cautioned against sharing misinformation and manipulated digital content.
He said advances in artificial intelligence had made it increasingly difficult to distinguish authentic photographs and videos from altered material.
Corps members were encouraged to verify the source, date and context of information before reposting it online.
Nafiu said the warning was especially important because many corps members would serve as ad hoc personnel during the 2027 elections.
He described election duty as an opportunity for young Nigerians to support the conduct of credible polls and help citizens exercise their voting rights.
The NYSC chief also encouraged participants to take advantage of the Skills Acquisition and Entrepreneurship Development programme.
He said vocational and entrepreneurial training had become increasingly important for graduates entering a difficult labour market.
Katsina State NYSC Coordinator Evans Okwor said 1,333 corps members had registered for the orientation exercise.
The camp also had 363 officials drawn from NYSC and collaborating agencies.
Medical personnel had attended to hundreds of corps members and officials, with several cases referred to hospital.
The orientation course began on August 5 and is expected to end on August 25, 2026.
NYSC said discipline, political neutrality, responsible social media use and public service would remain central expectations for corps members as the country moves toward another election cycle.
