The National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) is transforming its Skill Acquisition and Entrepreneurship Development (SAED) programme to better equip Corps Members with the skills needed for the modern workplace and entrepreneurial success. The overhaul includes standardising the curriculum to ensure deeper impact and relevance in today’s rapidly changing economy.
Brigadier General Olakunle Nafiu, the NYSC Director General, announced the changes at the 2025 second SAED stakeholders’ summit in Abuja, themed “Empowering a Generation: Building Competence for the Future Workplace and Enterprise Through Impactful Partnerships.” He said the programme is being digitally transformed to tackle youth unemployment more effectively, introducing skills such as artificial intelligence and mobile application development.
Nafiu highlighted that Corps Members are now integrated into the Federal Government’s 3 Million Technical Talent (3MTT) initiative and global remote work opportunities through platforms like Outsource to Nigeria, NYSC jobs.ng, and the SAED SME toolkit. Since 2012, over 3.18 million Corps Members have completed entrepreneurship and workplace readiness training, with more than 30,000 businesses formally registered with the Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC).
“These young entrepreneurs are creating jobs and contributing to Nigeria’s Gross Domestic Product, proving that our youths are capable change agents,” Nafiu said. He emphasised the importance of competence, mastery of SAED skills, and digital fluency to make Corps Members highly competitive globally.
The DG also highlighted the recently launched ₦2 billion MSME loan fund for Corps Entrepreneurs in partnership with the Bank of Industry (BoI) as a landmark step in supporting youth-led businesses. He credited the founding fathers of NYSC for laying the groundwork for entrepreneurship training decades ago and stressed the ongoing need to equip Nigeria’s young population with employable skills.
“The unemployment rate in 1973 was 1.9%, but today it is 6.9%. Many young Nigerians still lack the skills to compete in the workforce. Collaborating with our SAED partners is crucial to changing this narrative,” Nafiu added.
Earlier, the Director of SAED, Mr Kehinde Aremu-Cole, praised stakeholders for driving transformation in technology, creative industries, entrepreneurship, financial empowerment, and agriculture. “We are not just running a programme; we are building a generation. Let us keep empowering, and let us keep believing in the potentials of our young people,” he said.
The revamped SAED programme signals a renewed commitment by NYSC to prepare Nigerian youths for the future, combining entrepreneurial training, digital skills, and financial support to drive both employment and enterprise growth.
