By ZAKAA LAZARUS
The Director-General of the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC), Brigadier General Olakunle Nafiu, has urged Corps Members to embrace entrepreneurship and vocational skills as pathways to lasting financial independence. General Nafiu gave the charge during an interactive session with the 2026 Batch ‘B’ Stream I Corps Members deployed to Niger State undergoing their Orientation Course at the NYSC camp in Kubwa, Abuja, following ongoing renovation of the Niger State NYSC Camp, Addressing the Corps Members, the Director-General urged them to take full advantage of the NYSC Skills Acquisition and Entrepreneurship Development (SAED) programme, describing entrepreneurship as an indispensable tool for navigating today’s economic realities.
He advised them not to rely solely on their monthly allowance or the prospect of securing white-collar jobs after national service, but to acquire practical vocational and entrepreneurial skills capable of generating sustainable income. General Nafiu noted that the service year provides a unique opportunity for them to develop marketable skills in vocational trades offered under the SAED programme. He further encouraged the Corps Members to cultivate an entrepreneurial mindset, develop multiple streams of income and position themselves as employers of labour capable of contributing meaningfully to the nation’s economic development.
The Director-General also advised the Corps Members to build enduring friendships during the Orientation Course, noting that relationships formed during national service often blossom into valuable professional, business and leadership networks.
He urged them to maintain discipline throughout the service year, take advantage of opportunities for personal growth and continuous learning, and channel complaints through established NYSC administrative procedures rather than unofficial platforms, assuring them that genuine concerns would always receive prompt attention.
General Nafiu further reminded the Corps Members to uphold the core values of the Scheme by demonstrating integrity, responsibility and commitment at their various places of primary assignment. Earlier, the Niger State Coordinator, Mrs Martina Shuaibu Ibrahim, informed the Director-General that 783 Corps Members, comprising 296 males and 487 females, had been successfully registered for the orientation course Ibrahim stated that the Orientation Course had progressed smoothly through the collaborative efforts of the NYSC, Federal Capital Territory Secretariat and camp officials.
The State Coordinator commended the Corps Members for their discipline, and active participation in camp activities, describing their conduct as exemplary.
