By Muhammed Abubakar, Reporting
IN a strategic move prioritising long-term development over short-term convenience, Borno State Governor, Babagana Zulum, has approved the relocation of the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) permanent orientation camp from its current congested city-centre site to the grounds of Government Secondary School, Auno.
Governor Zulum outlined sustainability, enhanced security, and the potential for future expansion as the key drivers behind the proposal. He made his remarks on Friday during an inspection of the Auno facility, accompanied by the Director General of the NYSC, Brigadier General Olakunle Oluseye Nafiu, and other senior corps officials.
The Governor explained that the decision is rooted in meticulous long-term planning. “One of the key reasons I am proposing this location for the NYSC permanent orientation camp is sustainability,” he stated. “In the next one or two years, we may be hosting between 3,000 and 5,000 corps members. Keeping such a population within the town will create pressure on infrastructure.”
He highlighted the area’s burgeoning status as an institutional hub, pointing to the ongoing construction of a bypass just two kilometres away, which will significantly improve accessibility. The proximity of a new Teaching Hospital, due to be commissioned within months, and the State University along the same axis further solidified the location’s strategic importance. “This corridor is fast becoming a major institutional and development hub,” Governor Zulum noted. “If we are serious about long-term planning, we must move to a more spacious and strategic location.”
The proposed site at Government Secondary School, Auno, boasts considerable existing infrastructure, including two hostels with eight dormitories, a dining hall and kitchen, 26 classrooms with attached offices, seven laboratories, and 12 additional rooms. The facility is also equipped with an overhead water tank and a functional solar-powered borehole. The Governor added that the classrooms alone could accommodate between 1,300 and 1,500 corps members at any one time.
Addressing security concerns, a paramount consideration for any NYSC location, Governor Zulum assured that the site could be effectively fortified. He cited the presence of nearby security formations and a military checkpoint. “If this place is deemed suitable after your assessment, we will strengthen the perimeter fence, improve security architecture, and install modern technological gadgets to prevent intrusion. Once properly secured, this location will be ideal,” he assured.
The Governor also pledged to provide accommodation for NYSC officials, potentially by acquiring additional housing within the nearby Federal Mass Housing Estate. He concluded, “As governor, I would rather invest public resources in a location that guarantees sustainability, expansion, and long-term value—not one that will soon become congested and inadequate.”
Responding to the proposal, the NYSC Director General, Brigadier General Olakunle Oluseye Nafiu, lauded Governor Zulum’s foresight, describing the offer as both rare and exemplary. “His Excellency’s offering is uncommon. It is futuristic and shows he is thinking far ahead of where we currently are. That is exactly where this scheme is growing into,” General Nafiu remarked.
The Director General noted the Federal Government’s recent increases in annual corps member mobilisation, which is projected to reach 450,000 by 2026. He emphasised that security remains a critical factor in deployments and praised Governor Zulum for proactively involving security chiefs in the assessment process. “His Excellency has graciously asked security commanders to join us in inspecting this land so they can properly advise on safety and other requirements,” he added.
Earlier, the Secretary to the Borno State Government, Hon. Bukar Tijani, explained that while the state government developed the structure at Government Secondary School, Auno, it was never operationalised. He noted that the facility is fully fenced, although some portions of the perimeter wall have collapsed due to animal intrusion and prolonged disuse.
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