The National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) has announced that the 2026 Batch ‘B’ Stream II Orientation Course will begin on Wednesday, August 5, 2026, across the country.
The scheme said the three-week orientation program will hold simultaneously in all 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), ending on Tuesday, August 25, 2026.
The announcement was contained in a statement issued on Monday by the NYSC Director of Information and Public Relations, Caroline Embu.
According to the statement, prospective corps members can now access their call-up numbers through their personal dashboards on the NYSC portal, while call-up letters will be released in due course.
The orientation exercise marks the beginning of the one-year compulsory national service for graduates of universities, polytechnics and other approved higher institutions who are below the age of 30 at the time of graduation.
The Director-General of the NYSC, Brigadier General Olakunle Nafiu, congratulated all prospective corps members mobilised for the 2026 Batch ‘B’ Stream II service year.
He said their successful completion of academic programs in higher institutions within Nigeria and abroad had qualified them to participate in the national service program.
Nafiu urged the prospective corps members to prepare adequately for the orientation exercise and advised them to travel safely to their various camp locations.
He specifically warned them against travelling at night, stressing that their safety should remain a top priority throughout the journey.
The NYSC boss also advised them to follow all travel and security guidelines issued by the scheme and relevant authorities.
He wished them safe journeys and a successful orientation exercise.
The NYSC orientation course is the first stage of the national service program and is designed to prepare corps members for their service year.
During the three-week camp, participants undergo physical drills, leadership and citizenship training, lectures on national development, entrepreneurship development and skills acquisition programs.
The orientation program also provides corps members with opportunities to interact with people from different ethnic, religious and cultural backgrounds, one of the key objectives for which the scheme was established.
At the end of the orientation exercise, corps members are posted to their places of primary assignment, where they spend the remainder of their one-year service.
The NYSC has consistently advised prospective corps members to complete all registration procedures online before travelling to camp and to carefully read the instructions contained in their call-up letters.
The scheme also requires corps members to report to camp with valid means of identification, original copies of their academic credentials and other documents specified in the call-up letter.
Over the years, the NYSC has continued to strengthen safety measures during mobilisation, particularly in response to security concerns in some parts of the country.
The management has repeatedly advised corps members to avoid unnecessary travel risks, especially night journeys, and to make use of safe and reliable transportation.
It has also encouraged prospective corps members to contact NYSC officials or security agencies whenever they encounter challenges while travelling to their orientation camps.
The warning against night travel has become a regular part of the scheme’s mobilisation exercise following reports of road accidents and insecurity on some highways across the country.
Parents and guardians have also been urged to support prospective corps members in making safe travel arrangements and ensuring they arrive at their designated camps on time.
The NYSC was established in 1973 by the military administration of General Yakubu Gowon to promote national unity, integration and reconciliation after the Nigerian Civil War.
The scheme brings together graduates from different parts of the country to live, train and work in states other than their places of origin, with the aim of fostering national cohesion and mutual understanding.
In recent years, the NYSC has expanded its entrepreneurship and skills acquisition programmes to equip corps members with practical skills that can help them become self-reliant after completing their service year.
Many corps members now receive training in areas such as agriculture, information technology, fashion design, catering, renewable energy, construction and other vocational skills during the orientation camp.
The scheme has also introduced digital platforms to simplify registration, mobilisation and communication with prospective corps members.
The announcement of the 2026 Batch ‘B’ Stream II orientation timetable is expected to enable thousands of graduates across the country and those trained abroad to complete their preparations for national service.
With the release of call-up numbers, prospective corps members are expected to monitor their dashboards for further updates, including the release of their call-up letters and specific reporting instructions.