NYSC at 53: DG Pushes for Trust Fund to Boost Youth Entrepreneurship

JOEL OLADELE, Abuja

As the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) marks 53 years of operation, its Director-General, Brigadier General Olakunle Nafiu, has renewed calls for the approval of the proposed NYSC Trust Fund, saying the initiative would strengthen youth entrepreneurship and create more employment opportunities for Nigerian graduates.

Nafiu said the fund would enable the Scheme to deepen its Skills Acquisition and Entrepreneurship Development (SAED) programme by providing start-up capital for corps members to establish businesses after their service year.

Speaking at the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) Forum in Abuja, the NYSC boss noted that the proposed fund would expand the Scheme’s venture services and reduce unemployment among young graduates.

According to him, the initiative would also help tackle youth restiveness by productively engaging graduates and reducing the temptation to engage in criminal activities and other social vices.

“The Trust Fund would assist the NYSC in expanding its venture services and increasing job creation by empowering corps members with start-up capital to establish their businesses,” he said.

Reflecting on the Scheme’s 53-year journey, Nafiu said the NYSC had remained faithful to its founding mandate of promoting national unity, integration and socio-economic development since its establishment by the administration of General Yakubu Gowon in the aftermath of the Civil War.

He described the vision behind the creation of the Scheme as a noble one, noting that it has contributed significantly to fostering national cohesion through inter-tribal marriages, cultural exchanges and the deployment of graduates to states outside their places of origin.

According to him, countless friendships and enduring relationships have emerged from the programme over the decades, helping to bridge ethnic and regional divides across the country.

“The influence of the Scheme in relation to national unity, cohesion and socio-economic development cannot be underestimated,” he said.

The Director-General also highlighted the transformation of the NYSC through technology-driven reforms, including the introduction of electronic identity cards, digital record management systems, online registration processes and improved information dissemination through social media platforms.

Nafiu said the SAED programme, introduced in 2012, was designed to strengthen the informal sector of the economy by equipping corps members with practical entrepreneurial and vocational skills.

He disclosed that the programme has continued to evolve, citing the recent Memorandum of Understanding signed with the Enterprise Development Centre of Pan-Atlantic University as part of efforts to broaden opportunities for corps members.

“More than 500,000 corps members have registered their businesses with the Corporate Affairs Commission,” he revealed.

The NYSC chief further assured prospective corps members that management would continue to ensure seamless online registration and mobilisation processes.

He, however, identified inadequate orientation camp facilities as one of the major challenges affecting corps deployment across states.

Nafiu reminded state governments of their statutory responsibility under the NYSC Act to provide and maintain orientation camps for the training and welfare of corps members.

He disclosed that while Enugu and Osun states are currently renovating their orientation camps, Lagos State is constructing a new camp facility to improve the living conditions of corps members posted to the state.

“It is the responsibility of state governments to provide operational vehicles for State Coordinators and subventions during camps, while Local Government Chairmen are expected to provide corps lodges,” he said.

The Director-General said he had continued to engage relevant stakeholders at all levels to ensure they fulfil their obligations to the Scheme.

He also appealed to Student Affairs Officers in tertiary institutions to submit details of qualified graduates promptly to avoid delays in mobilisation.

On the Federal Government’s Nigeria Education Repository Databank (NERD), Nafiu said the Scheme was prepared to comply fully with the policy aimed at maintaining a comprehensive database of Nigerian graduates.

The NYSC boss further advised corps members to strictly observe security guidelines, including avoiding night travel, lone journeys and other risky movements.

He noted that the Scheme has strengthened collaboration with security agencies to safeguard corps members travelling to orientation camps across the country.

Nafiu also disclosed that all corps members are enrolled under the National Health Insurance Authority health package, which provides access to free medical care throughout their service year.

He added that NYSC ventures such as farms, bread and water factories, garment production centres and other enterprise projects not only provide vocational training opportunities but also serve as sources of internally generated revenue for the Scheme.

“The Scheme is trying to inculcate the culture of savings in corps members through multiple streams of income. Entrepreneurship development enables them to develop themselves and also train others to acquire new skills towards self-employment,” he said.

The Director-General added that the NYSC would continue to sensitise corps members on the responsible use of social media and encourage the creation of positive content that does not put them at odds with the law.