The Director-General of the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC), Brig.-Gen. Olakunle Nafiu, has called the SAED programme a crucial “Plan B” for corps members to ensure self-reliance.
While addressing 2025 Batch ‘B’ Stream II corps members in Kaduna on Friday, Nafiu urged them to fully embrace the SAED initiative during orientation to build sustainable livelihoods.
21st CENTURY CHRONICLE reports that the NYSC established the Skills Acquisition and Entrepreneurship Department to trains and empower as well as equip corps members with practical, self-reliant skills to foster entrepreneurship and reduce graduate unemployment in Nigeria.
The SAED programme provides training in various skills during the orientation camp and encourages participation in post-camp training to build sustainable livelihoods.
Nafiu said SAED equips corps members with practical skills to become self-employed, especially when job promised from relatives or access to white-collar employment failed to materialise.
He said the SAED programme was tailored to make Nigerian graduates business-minded, thus reducing dependence on government jobs and promoting youth-led entrepreneurship across the country.
He disclosed that the government had launched a N2 billion loan initiative through the Bank of Industry to support corps members with business ideas and entrepreneurial goals.
According to him, each corps member can access up to N5 million at a single-digit interest rate of nine per cent, repayable over three years, with a three-month moratorium period.
Nafiu described the loan as a significant opportunity to help corps members establish businesses, reduce unemployment, and contribute to Nigeria’s economic productivity and innovation.
He urged corps members to avoid night travel, respect local customs, and use social media responsibly while avoiding political partisanship during the service year.
Nafiu reiterated that relying solely on one source of income was unsustainable, urging corps members to embrace entrepreneurship and skill development as pathways to long-term financial freedom.
Earlier, the State Coordinator, Mrs Efeke Dadaza, commended the corps members for their enthusiasm, encouraging them to actively engage in all orientation activities and uphold discipline.
She said the course introduced corps members to NYSC’s core values, Nigerian culture, paramilitary drills, citizenship training, and skills acquisition to help them transition successfully into the workforce.
