The Director-General of the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC), Brigadier General Olakunle Nafiu, has warned serving corps members against partisan political activities and the spread of AI-generated misinformation ahead of the 2027 general elections.
Nafiu issued the warning on Wednesday, August 19, 2026, during a visit to the 2026 Batch ‘B’ Stream II Orientation Course at the NYSC Permanent Orientation Camp in Katsina State.
Corps Members Warned Against Campaigning
Nafiu reminded corps members that they are required to remain politically neutral throughout their service year.
“As corps members, you are not permitted to campaign for any political party or candidate. If your social media activities are traced to political promotion while wearing the NYSC identity, appropriate action will be taken,” he said.
He warned that corps members should not use their uniforms, NYSC identity or official association with the scheme to promote candidates or political parties.
NYSC Boss Raises AI Misinformation Concern
The NYSC DG also urged corps members to be careful with information shared on social media, particularly as artificial intelligence makes it easier to create convincing fake photographs and videos.
“Don’t just share or repost blindly. Think through what you receive. Verify the source, check when the picture was taken and determine whether it has been manipulated by AI,” Nafiu said.
He noted that technological advances had significantly changed the information environment and made verification increasingly important.
The warning comes as manipulated videos, photographs and audio recordings become increasingly common in online political discussions ahead of the 2027 elections.
Corps Members to Support 2027 Elections
Nafiu also highlighted the expected role of corps members as ad hoc election personnel for the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) during the 2027 general elections.
He said maintaining political neutrality would be important to the credibility of the electoral process and urged the corps members to uphold the integrity expected of them.
The NYSC DG further encouraged the participants to take advantage of the Skills Acquisition and Entrepreneurship Development (SAED) programme during their service year.
The NYSC has previously reminded corps members of its restrictions on partisan political activities, while similar warnings have become more prominent as political activities ahead of the 2027 elections intensify.
