By Gabriel Ameh
📍Abuja The Director General of the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC), Olakunle Nafiu, has reiterated the Scheme’s dedication to addressing youth unemployment through enterprise development and skills acquisition.
During a study tour by participants of Senior Executive Course 48, 2026, from the National Institute of Policy and Strategic Studies (NIPSS), Kuru, Jos, at the NYSC Directorate Headquarters in Abuja, Nafiu emphasized the significance of the Skill Acquisition and Entrepreneurship Development (SAED) programme.
He stated that the NYSC has trained 1,391,119 corps members in various vocational skills from 2019 to 2025, providing young Nigerians with the necessary tools for self-sufficiency.
He elaborated that the SAED programme, which was launched in 2012, is in line with the Scheme’s mission to foster entrepreneurial skills in graduates and lessen reliance on limited white-collar job opportunities.
“While jobs were once plentiful for graduates, the current situation has shifted. The NYSC Act empowers us to prepare corps members not only for employment but also to become job creators,” Nafiu remarked.
The DG praised government agencies and private sector collaborators for their support of the programme through funding, grants, soft loans, and start-up kits for corps entrepreneurs.
He also urged NIPSS to advocate for the establishment of the NYSC Trust Fund, pointing out that the bill has already been approved by the National Assembly and is pending presidential approval. “With the Trust Fund, we will be able to offer sufficient start-up capital for corps members following their service year,” he added.
Participants of the study tour were also presented with a documentary highlighting success stories of beneficiaries of the SAED initiative.
In his comments, the Director General of NIPSS, Ayo Omotayo, praised the NYSC for its contributions to youth empowerment and the reduction of unemployment. He remarked that the study tour, themed “Economic Diversification and National Development: Leveraging the Orange Economy and Entrepreneurship for Sustainable Growth,” is crucial for understanding these dynamics.
