By Joel Ajayi
The National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) has unveiled plans to enhance its collaboration with key stakeholders and expand its initiatives aimed at empowering Corps Members for self-reliance and entrepreneurship.
Speaking at the 2025 Strategic Meeting/Debriefing of State Officers held in Abuja, NYSC Director General, Brigadier General Olakunle Oluseye Nafiu, emphasized the Scheme’s strategic engagement with various partners, including the Bank of Industry (BOI) through its Graduate Entrepreneurship Fund (GEF), the Small and Medium Enterprises Development Agency of Nigeria (SMEDAN), and private sector organizations such as SV-NED, OTNI, ASOLAR, among others.
General Nafiu noted that these partnerships are designed to go beyond theoretical learning by exposing Corps Members to real-world business environments. “These collaborations will equip Corps Members with entrepreneurial and leadership skills necessary for a successful transition into self-employment,” he said.
He highlighted that formal frameworks such as Memoranda of Understanding (MoUs) and comprehensive action plans with agencies like SMEDAN have been put in place to operationalize these efforts. “By joining forces with these stakeholders, we aim to bridge the gap between education and employment, and ultimately empower Corps Members to become employers of labor,” he added.
The Director General, represented by Alhaji Ibrahim Muhammad, Director of the Human Resources Management Department, stressed NYSC’s continued commitment to ICT development. He stated that in today’s digital age, Information and Communication Technology (ICT) proficiency is vital across all sectors—from e-commerce to tech-driven agriculture—and that the Scheme is prioritizing digital literacy for both Corps Members and staff.
Also speaking at the meeting, Mr. Kehinde Aremu-Cole, Director of the Skills Acquisition and Entrepreneurship Development (SAED) Department, reiterated that the SAED programme remains central to youth empowerment and national integration. He said the theme of the meeting, “Operationalizing Excellence: A New Framework for Corps Empowerment through Policy Innovation, Efficiency, and Sustainability”, is a clarion call to SAED Schedule Officers to adopt innovative approaches to service delivery.
“We must move beyond traditional methods and focus on creating sustainable and efficient systems that truly empower our Corps Members,” Aremu-Cole stated. He urged SAED Officers to improve service quality, ensure the programme exceeds its goals, and remain responsive to the evolving needs of participants.
He also noted recent developments within the SAED framework, including the review of skill sets, implementation strategies, updated workbooks, and curriculum development—designed to enhance impact and adaptability.
Aremu-Cole further advised SAED Officers to guide Corps Members on using the NYSC Integrated System (NIS), emphasizing the importance of skill selection through their dashboards for improved tracking and efficiency.
“You are expected to serve as mentors to Corps entrepreneurs—especially those who are beneficiaries of loans and grants from our partners—and as role models, inspiring active participation in post-camp training and other SAED activities,” he concluded.
