The Director-General of the National Youth Service Corps, NYSC, Brig. Gen. Olakunle Nafiu, has warned corps members against irresponsible use of social media, stressing that they are not exempt from Nigeria’s cyberbullying and online conduct laws.
Nafiu stated this during an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria, NAN, on Thursday in Abuja.
He said corps members remained citizens of Nigeria and were fully bound by the provisions of the Constitution and other extant laws regulating online behaviour and cyber activities.
According to him, allegations of cyberbullying against corps members would be investigated and handled by relevant law enforcement agencies in line with the law.
“The fact that they are corps members does not absolve them from being citizens bound by the laws of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.
“If someone says you cyberbullied him or her, the police will arrest you with your NYSC identity card and you will bear that responsibility.
“I am not funded to provide legal representation for you in court. What we do is engage the Legal Aid Council to monitor proceedings,” he said.
The NYSC boss added that the scheme was not against content creation by corps members but advised them to engage responsibly online.
“By the end of this year, we will be mobilising only ‘Generation Z’ graduates, and we understand the environment they operate in.
“We know this generation loves content creation, and we are not against content, but there must be proper context and responsible engagement,” Nafiu stated.
He disclosed that the scheme had intensified sensitisation campaigns to educate corps members on responsible use of social media amid growing concerns over cyberbullying and online misconduct.
“The rule of the game has changed. You cannot just go online calling out people because someone can accuse you of cyberbullying,” he added.
Speaking on election duties, Nafiu described corps members’ participation as ad hoc staff during elections as a vital contribution to democratic governance and credible electoral processes.
“It is more noble to serve as election ad hoc staff than merely casting your ballot because you are facilitating credible elections for millions of Nigerians,” he said.
The NYSC DG also commended the First Lady, Sen. Oluremi Tinubu, for donating mobile clinics to support the scheme’s medical outreach programmes in underserved rural communities.
According to him, the clinics have improved healthcare delivery by providing facilities for consultations, scans and basic medical tests in remote areas.
“The objective of our outreach is to reach the unreached and less-served rural dwellers with healthcare initiatives and medical support,” Nafiu said.
He, however, noted that logistics challenges had limited the deployment of the mobile clinics to distant states, explaining that transportation required specialised arrangements and additional operational funding.
NAN reports that the NYSC was established in 1973 to promote national unity and integration through mandatory one-year service by Nigerian graduates.
