NYSC Trains 1.39 Million Youths in Vocational Skills — DG
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NYSC Trains 1.39 Million Youths in Vocational Skills — DG
By Alabidun Shuaib AbdulRahman
The Director-General of the National Youth Service Corps, NYSC, Brig. Gen. Olakunle Nafiu, says the Scheme has trained no fewer than one million, three hundred and ninety-one thousand, one hundred and nineteen (1,391,119) young graduates in vocational skills between 2019 and 2025 as part of efforts to tackle youth unemployment in Nigeria.
Nafiu disclosed this while briefing participants of Senior Executive Course 48, 2026, of the National Institute of Policy and Strategic Studies, NIPSS, during a study tour to the NYSC Directorate Headquarters.
The study tour, themed “Economic Diversification and National Development: Leveraging the Orange Economy and Entrepreneurship for Sustainable Growth in Nigeria,” brought together policymakers and senior executives to explore strategies for tackling unemployment.
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The NYSC boss explained that the training was conducted under the Scheme’s Skill Acquisition and Entrepreneurship Development programme, which was introduced in 2012 in line with its mandate to promote self-reliance among Nigerian youths.
He commended the founding fathers of the Scheme for their foresight, noting that the objective of equipping corps members with entrepreneurial skills has become increasingly relevant amid dwindling white-collar job opportunities.
Nafiu said, “At the time the NYSC was established, jobs were readily available, and companies sought after graduates from the few tertiary institutions that existed then.
“Today, however, those opportunities are very scarce. Thankfully, the NYSC Act mandates us to empower corps members with entrepreneurial skills that will make them not only self-sufficient but also employers of labour.”
He also lauded government agencies and private organisations partnering with the NYSC in implementing the programme through technical support and funding, including the provision of soft loans, grants and start-up kits for corps entrepreneurs.
The Director-General further urged the NIPSS to support advocacy efforts for the establishment of the NYSC Trust Fund, noting that the bill had been passed by the National Assembly and was awaiting presidential assent.
“The NYSC Trust Fund Bill has been passed by the National Assembly and is awaiting the assent of Mr President. We will appreciate it if you could include it in your recommendations while presenting your report.
“With the Trust Fund, we will be able to provide every corps member who undergoes SAED training with adequate capital to start a business of their choice at the end of the service year,” he added.
To complement Nafiu’s presentation, participants were shown a documentary detailing success stories of young entrepreneurs who had benefitted from the initiative.
In his remarks, the Director-General of NIPSS, Prof. Ayo Omotayo, commended the NYSC for its contribution to reducing unemployment through the programme.
Omotayo explained that the study tour was guided by the theme of economic diversification and entrepreneurship, adding that the findings would enable participants to develop a blueprint for tackling unemployment in Nigeria.
“We deliberately chose NYSC for this study tour, having closely monitored your trajectory in youth empowerment,” he said.
He assured that part of the group’s recommendations to the Federal Government would focus on strengthening the Scheme’s capacity to deliver on its youth empowerment mandate.
