By ZAKAA LAZARUS
The National Youth Service Corps has empowered a total of Fifty Eight Thousand, Nine Hundred and Thirty-Three (58,933) Corps Members with different digital skills in its entrepreneurship drive towards youth empowerment within the last two years.
The NYSC Director General, Brigadier General Olakunle Nafiu stated this today in his goodwill message at a retreat organized by the Federal Ministry of Youth Development, with the theme; “Achieving the youth focused Presidential Priorities And Deliverables”, held in Abuja.
The DG said for more than two years that this administration has been in existence, NYSC has been drawing strength from the support of the Federal Ministry of Youth Development and by extension, the Federal Government. He stated further that the Scheme has remained committed to the success of the sixth priority area, which is focused on education, health and social investment as essential pillars of development.
While congratulating the Minister for his accomplishments since assuming office, General Nafiu added that Olawande’s passion has been a source of inspiration for the Nigerian youths.
“As at the second quarter 2025, Fifty-Six Thousand and Thirteen Corps Members had been exposed to digital skills through ICT training at NYSC Orientation Camps nationwide.
Our partnership with Enterprise Development Centre has yielded digital skills training for Two Thousand, Nine Hundred and Twenty Female Corps Members”, he said.
General Nafiu noted that NYSC has contributing to one of the key deliverables of the sixth priority area, which is galvanizing the internal and external economies of scale for youth entrepreneurial sharpening through inter-agency engagements and collaboration.
The NYSC Chief Executive stated further that the Scheme would strengthen its existing partnership to drive empowerment initiatives and youth support systems through enhanced collaboration with Access Bank, Unity Bank, Wema Bank, British American Tobacco Nigeria Foundation, NNPC Foundation/Kudimata and Activate Success on its Skill Acquisition and Entrepreneurship Development (SAED) programme.
He said NYSC’s partnerships together with other initiatives, gave rise to the Scheme’s contributions to the second deliverable, namely; improvement of employability and access of youth to business and income generating opportunities.
General Nafiu also said the number of Corps Members supported in mentorship, internship, apprenticeship and career development opportunities also keep rising as Three Hundred and Eighty-Five Thousand, Four Hundred and Sixty-One had participated in the SAED programme from June 2023 to the second quarter of 2025.
“Through our public and private sector partners, One Thousand, One Hundred and Eighteen Corps Members were given financial support to start their businesses over the last two years.
NYSC has made great contributions in the area of education with Five Hundred and Seventy-Four Thousand Corps Members posted on teaching assignment, especially in rural schools, from June 2023 to date. In the area of health, Thirty-Eight Thousand, One Hundred and Twelve Corps Members were posted to health facilities across the country, also with priority given to rural deployment, resulting in enhanced access to quality health care services for the citizenry.
Moreover, as part of the Scheme’s contributions to the achievement of universal health coverage, Forty-Nine Thousand, Eight Hundred and Thirty-Nine Nigerians had benefitted from medical outreaches under the NYSC Health Initiative for Rural Dwellers within the period”, he added.
General Nafiu also said the foregoing achievements were products of shared vision and commitment to success of the Renewed Hope Agenda of the Federal Government.
He reiterated NYSC’s continued partnership with the Ministry of Your Development and other stakeholders in its determination to drive initiatives that would accelerate national development.
In his address at the event, the Minister for Youth Development, Mr Ayodele Olawande called on the youths to make effective use of the youth help desk domiciled at the Ministry.
He said President Tinubu had earlier charged the Ministry to become a true place of hope and empowerment for the Nigerian youths.
He added that the Youth Ministry has trained a total of Fifteen Thousand, Five Hundred and Nine Youths on digital skills instead of the targeted figure of Ten Thousand.
“We planned to support Eighty Thousand youths in mentorship and career development but we recorded Ninety-Seven Thousand, Two Hundred and Twelve beneficiaries.
In crime reduction and peace building, we trained a total of Five Thousand and Twenty Three. The Nigerian Youth Academy (NIYA) has recorded over Two Hundred and Fifty Thousand Nigerian youths”, Olawande said.
He also said there was the need to speed up operations on the National Youth Investment Fund so as to fast track other initiatives and laudable achievements for the Ministry.
