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Corruption and Mismanagement – Institutionalized Fraud
The National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) was conceived as a cornerstone of national integration and public service. Yet, in recent years, it has come to symbolize something more troubling: a microcosm of Nigeria’s broader crisis of corruption and institutional decay. Underneath its patriotic veneer lies a festering network of bureaucratic inefficiency, financial misappropriation, and systemic fraud. For a program sustained by billions in public funds, the NYSC has alarmingly little to show in terms of fiscal accountability, and even less in moral integrity.
A growing body of empirical and investigative work has revealed how corruption has become structurally embedded within the NYSC’s operational framework. From the procurement of uniforms and camp infrastructure to corps members’ allowances and SAED funding, numerous leakages persist without consequence. According to Abdulrauf (2020), anti-corruption frameworks in Nigeria remain weak when it comes to specialized institutions like the NYSC, where internal checks are minimal and oversight mechanisms are frequently circumvented.
Audit trails have repeatedly shown inconsistencies in financial statements provided by NYSC administrators. The EFCC, in its public compliance drive between 2019 and 2023, noted the absence of verifiable documentation for millions of naira allocated to logistics and allowances (Edeh et al., 2022). Meanwhile, Samuel and Rufus (2024) emphasize how the opacity surrounding budget execution within public agencies like NYSC provides fertile ground for mismanagement and embezzlement.
One particularly damning revelation came from the ICPC’s 2022 audit, which uncovered that funds earmarked for camp renovations were never fully accounted for in five states (Chukwunonso et al., 2023). Despite full disbursement from the federal budget, camp facilities remained in disrepair, prompting questions about who benefited from the budgetary gaps. Such patterns exemplify what Mohammed and Salawu (2020) describe as “administrative grand corruption”—where theft is orchestrated not by low-level agents but by those within the command structure.
Corruption also taints the recruitment and deployment processes within NYSC. Ghost posting, bribery for preferential state assignments, and the exchange of money for “lighter” primary assignments are common. According to Okoye, Dorothy and Ojimba (2024), this culture of transactional bureaucracy distorts merit and entrenches elite capture within what should be an egalitarian national program. These practices have cascading effects, from affecting community service delivery to deepening youth disillusionment.
Beyond personnel, procurement processes in NYSC are notoriously manipulated. The Bureau of Public Procurement (BPP) flagged multiple instances of inflated contracts for supplies such as mattresses, food, and boots between 2018 and 2021, citing discrepancies ranging from ₦40 million to ₦117 million across five regions (Fisayo et al., 2023). Adamaagashi (2024) stresses that such inefficiencies weaken Nigeria’s macroeconomic stability, especially when repeated across other sectors, turning national institutions into fiscal sinkholes.
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), under increasing scrutiny itself, has struggled to clamp down effectively on NYSC-related fraud. Yet some success stories exist. In 2023, an investigation led to the dismissal of several camp officials involved in falsifying records to claim stipends for non-existent corps members in Bauchi State (Kolo, 2023). But such crackdowns are few and far between, and according to Dauda (2022), are rarely followed by systemic reforms to prevent recurrence.
The educational arm of NYSC has not been spared either. Olateju (2024) presents findings from the adult education subsector, where instructors and facilitators often siphon training grants by inflating participant numbers or reusing outdated materials to cut costs. Similarly, Odusote (2023) argues that Nigeria’s anti-corruption model, particularly within civic programs like NYSC, needs urgent reevaluation—one that replaces ceremonial interventions with practical deterrents.
Elite capture is another dimension. Akinniyi and Olabimtan (2021) discuss how political appointees have turned the NYSC into a patronage tool, pushing postings and contracts toward cronies while marginalizing more qualified individuals. This trend reflects what Olakunle and Makinde (2022) describe as “systemic erosion of democratic accountability” across Nigeria’s governance institutions.
Notably, the international ramifications of this corruption have not gone unnoticed. Nigeria’s corruption profile under the fourth republic has significantly tainted its global image, especially regarding youth engagement and institutional development (Mohammed and Salawu, 2020). This perception negatively affects foreign partnerships, investments, and development aid tied to governance benchmarks.
Forensic accounting experts have called for radical transparency in NYSC’s financial records, particularly regarding its procurement and deployment funding. Suleiman and Othman (2021) advocate for technology-driven solutions such as blockchain-based expense ledgers, which would offer real-time tracking and public access to financial data, a move that could fundamentally alter the opacity that has defined NYSC financial operations.
Read also: Beyond NYSC: Why Nigeria Must End Youth Service—Part 6
If NYSC is to regain its integrity and relevance, it must undergo deep structural cleansing. This involves not just jettisoning corrupt officials, but overhauling the fiscal and ethical foundation upon which it rests. Agencies like the EFCC and ICPC must be empowered with prosecutorial teeth, but beyond enforcement, a culture of civic duty, transparency, and justice must be reignited within the NYSC itself. As Saleh and Yerima (2020) put it, “the anti-graft war must move beyond symbolism into surgical accountability, especially in institutions tasked with shaping the next generation.”
In its current state, the NYSC is less a beacon of national unity and more a reflection of Nigeria’s bureaucratic rot. Without reform, it will continue to fail not just in its mission, but in its moral duty to the very youth it claims to empower.
References
Abdulrauf, L., 2020. Using specialised anti-corruption agencies to combat corruption in Nigeria. African Journal of Legal Studies, 12, pp.215–241.
Adamaagashi, I.A., 2024. Anti-corruption and Nigeria’s economy: Role of EFCC. International Journal of Social Sciences and Management Research (IJSSMR), 6(1), pp.44–59.
Akinniyi, A.J. & Olabimtan, O.E., 2021. Effectiveness of combating corruption in Nigeria. Kampala International University Journal of Education, 9(2), pp.125–137.
Chukwunonso, J.A., Mohammed, A. & Eze, N., 2023. EFCC and anti-corruption crusade in Nigeria, 2015–2020. International Journal of Research and Innovation in Social Science (IJRISS), 7(3), pp.89–101.
Dauda, M., 2022. Corruption and government mechanisms in Nigeria: An institutional analysis. Journal of Techno-Social, 14(1), pp.12–22.
Edeh, J., Lawal, I., Ogbole, M. & Adeyemi, K., 2022. EFCC and embezzlement control under Buhari administration. International Journal of Development and Management Review, 17(1), pp.44–56.
Fisayo, D.P., Adeola, M.A. & Hassan, U., 2023. Elite capture and anti-corruption in Nigeria: EFCC and ICPC in perspective. International Journal of Business, Humanities and Education Studies (IJBHES), 3(2), pp.77–89.
Kolo, B.G., 2023. Performance of EFCC in Darazo LGA, Bauchi State: A case study. OALib Journal, 10(1), pp.1–10.
Mohammed, A.A. & Salawu, I., 2020. Corruption and Nigeria’s external image in the Fourth Republic. Journal of Management & Social Sciences, 9, pp.785–801.
Odusote, O.T., 2023. Nigeria’s anti-corruption model: Time for review. Advances in Social Sciences Research Journal, 10(2), pp.33–45.
Okoye, J.N., Dorothy, O.N. & Ojimba, C.C., 2024. Corruption in the Nigerian public sector: Causes, consequences and sustainable solutions. International Journal of Advanced Multidisciplinary Research and Studies, 4(1), pp.110–126.
Olateju, A.O., 2024. Corruption in formal adult education in Nigeria. International Journal of Economic, Finance and Business Statistics, 6(1), pp.22–33.
Olakunle, A.T. & Makinde, A.V., 2022. Corruption, democracy and development in Nigeria. International Journal of Research in Social Science and Humanities (IJRSSH), 5(3), pp.113–127.
Saleh, L. & Yerima, H., 2020. Anti-graft war and Nigeria’s corruption crisis. Nigerian Journal of Policy Studies, 8(2), pp.57–69.
Samuel, O.O. & Rufus, A., 2024. Transparency and accountability in Nigerian public sector: A review. International Journal of Research and Innovation in Social Science (IJRISS), 8(1), pp.101–114.
Suleiman, N. & Othman, Z., 2021. Forensic accounting and public sector corruption in Nigeria. The Qualitative Report, 26(2), pp.451–465.
