By Wellington Jopelo
The Executive Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Mr. Ola Olukoyede, has called on members of the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) to take full ownership of the fight against corruption by embracing integrity, honesty and hard work.
He gave the charge on Thursday, January 29, 2026, at the NYSC Orientation Camp in Kubwa, Abuja, while addressing Batch “A” Stream I corps members. Olukoyede spoke through Superintendent of the EFCC, SE Johnson Oloyede, during a lecture titled “The Role of Youth in the Anti-Corruption Fight.”
The EFCC chairman described young people as key stakeholders in tackling economic and financial crimes, noting that many such crimes are committed by youths. He urged corps members to choose a positive path and actively participate in building a corruption-free society.
He challenged them to see themselves as agents of change and “foot soldiers” in the national anti-corruption campaign, stressing that Nigeria needs a new generation of youths who are builders, problem-solvers and drivers of development.
At the NYSC Orientation Camp in Iyana-Ipaja, Lagos, Olukoyede encouraged corps members to design creative ways of contributing to nation-building. Speaking through ACE II Babatunde Sulaiman, Head of Public Affairs, Lagos Zonal Directorate 2, he urged them to join pressure groups and initiatives that promote transparency and financial integrity.
He also advised corps members to support the EFCC’s mission by aligning with groups that defend the Commission’s work and by joining the EFCC-Community Development Group, which partners with the agency to promote its values and activities.
In Yobe State, at the NYSC Orientation Camp in Nangere, Olukoyede, represented by the Maiduguri Zonal Director, CE Aisha A.T. Habib, urged corps members to act as whistleblowers. He encouraged them to report corruption using the Eagle Eye App, describing the exposure of corrupt practices as both a civic duty and a patriotic act.
Similar messages were delivered at orientation camps in Rivers State, Kaduna, Uyo, Ibadan, Gombe, Enugu, Ilorin, and other parts of the country. In Kaduna, Olukoyede warned that unemployment should never be used as an excuse for crime, stressing that cybercrime is not a solution to economic hardship.
Across all locations, the EFCC chairman emphasized that Nigeria’s progress depends largely on the choices young people make, urging corps members to be lights that uplift the nation rather than burdens that hold it back.