NYSC Reports Over 38,000 Corps Members Thriving as Entrepreneurs

By: Emmanuel Ibitoye

The National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) revealed that more than 38,000 corps members have successfully delved into entrepreneurship and are excelling as business owners.

Brigadier General Yushau Ahmed, the Director General of NYSC, disclosed this during his keynote address at the Skill Acquisition and Entrepreneurship Development (SAED) Stakeholders’ Meeting in Abuja.

“I am most pleased to report that thirty-eight thousand, four hundred and sixty-three (38,433) of them have established their own businesses and are doing well as employers of labor, while eleven thousand, eight hundred and eighty-one (11,881) were financially empowered by our collaborating partners,” said Brigadier General Ahmed.

The Director General highlighted the effectiveness of the program in fostering self-reliance among Nigerian youths and acknowledged the significant contributions of various partners in implementing the SAED program.

He emphasized collaborations with financial institutions and foundations, such as Access Bank Plc, Unity Bank, and Wema Bank, which have facilitated the financing of corps members’ businesses.

Brigadier General Ahmed also outlined ongoing efforts to assist corps members inclined towards white-collar jobs through the NYSC job portal and free digital training programs.

Despite successes, challenges such as the need for more capacity-building training, scholarships, access to markets, and favorable loan conditions were highlighted. The NYSC DG appealed to stakeholders for continued support to overcome these challenges.

In her remarks, Mrs. Ngozi Nwatarali, Director of SAED, stressed the importance of stakeholder collaboration in achieving the program’s objectives and empowering youths to become self-reliant contributors to national development.

“Our presence here is a step towards eradicating poverty. The hurdles of the paucity of funds, limited access to opportunities for business finance, and absence of a strong apprenticeship system are all surmountable,” Mrs. Nwatarali affirmed, expressing confidence in overcoming challenges with stakeholder support.