NYSC DG Reaffirms Role In Tackling Youth Unemployment
The Director General of the National Youth Service Corps, NYSC, Brigadier General Olakunle Nafiu, has reaffirmed the scheme’s pivotal role in addressing youth unemployment in Nigeria.
General Nafiu made this known while briefing participants of Senior Executive Course 48, 2026, from the National Institute of Policy and Strategic Studies, NIPSS, Kuru-Jos, during a study tour to the NYSC Directorate Headquarters. The tour focused on the theme of economic diversification and entrepreneurship for sustainable national growth.
In a statement by the NYSC Director of Information and Public Relations, Caroline Embu, Nafiu disclosed that the scheme trained 1,391,119 young graduates in vocational skills between 2019 and 2025 under its Skill Acquisition and Entrepreneurship Development, SAED, programme.
He explained that the SAED initiative, introduced in 2012, was designed to promote self reliance among Nigerian youths by equipping them with skills for self employment, especially in the face of dwindling white collar job opportunities.
Nafiu noted that while job opportunities were abundant at the inception of the scheme, the current reality requires a stronger focus on entrepreneurship, adding that the NYSC remains committed to producing self reliant graduates and job creators.
He commended government agencies and partner organisations for supporting the programme through funding, grants, soft loans and start up kits for corps members.
The NYSC boss also called on NIPSS to support advocacy for the establishment of the NYSC Trust Fund, noting that the bill has been passed by the National Assembly and is awaiting presidential assent. He said the fund would provide corps members with startup capital after completing the SAED training.
Participants at the session were also shown a documentary highlighting success stories of beneficiaries of the programme.
In his remarks, the Director General of NIPSS, Professor Ayo Omotayo, commended the NYSC for its contribution to reducing unemployment through youth empowerment initiatives.
He added that the findings from the study tour would help participants develop recommendations for the federal government on strategies to tackle unemployment and strengthen youth development programmes in Nigeria.
