The Director-General of the National Youth Service Corps, Brig. Gen. Olakunle Nafiu, has warned corps members that they are not exempt from Nigeria’s cyberbullying and social media laws during their mandatory one-year national service.
Nafiu stated this during an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria on Thursday in Abuja, stressing that corps members remain subject to the Constitution and all extant laws regulating online conduct and public behaviour.
According to him, allegations of cyberbullying or other online offences involving 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,” he said.
The NYSC boss added that the scheme was not responsible for providing legal representation for corps members facing criminal or civil cases arising from their online activities.
“I am not funded to provide legal representation for you in court. What we do is engage the Legal Aid Council to monitor proceedings,” Nafiu stated.
He explained that the Legal Aid Council could, however, provide pro bono legal services for corps members where necessary, especially during investigations or court proceedings.
Nafiu said the NYSC had intensified sensitisation campaigns to educate corps members on responsible social media use and proper digital communication amid rising 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 said.
He noted that the scheme had adjusted its communication strategies to align with the realities of younger Nigerians participating in the programme.
“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 added.
Speaking on election duties, the NYSC DG described corps members’ participation as ad hoc electoral staff as a noble contribution to democratic governance and credible elections in Nigeria.
“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.
Nafiu 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 during outreach activities by providing facilities for consultations, scans, and basic medical tests.
“The objective of our outreach is to reach the unreached and less-served rural dwellers with healthcare initiatives and medical support,” he stated.
He, however, noted that logistical challenges had limited the deployment of the mobile clinics to distant states due to transportation and operational costs.
“We can conveniently move them to nearby states like Nasarawa, Kaduna, and Niger, but taking them to places like Lagos involves major logistics requirements,” Nafiu said.
The NYSC was established in 1973 to promote national unity, integration, and development through mandatory national service for Nigerian graduates.
