The Director-General of the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC), Nafiu Oloyede, has encouraged 2025 Batch B Stream II corps members deployed to Osun State to take the Skill Acquisition and Entrepreneurship Development (SAED) training introduced during the orientation camp seriously.
We gathered that Oloyede gave the charge during his visit to the NYSC Orientation Camp in Ede, Osun State, on Sunday, stressing that the skills acquired through the programme would empower corps members to become self-reliant after completing their one-year mandatory service.
He noted that the scheme had collaborated with various organisations, including NGOs, civil society groups, government ministries, departments, and agencies, to ensure the effective implementation of the initiative.
According to him, the SAED programme provides corps members with a dual advantage — gaining both academic and practical skills — to prevent them from becoming dependent after their service year.
“We can not make startup capital available to all but with financial literacy, you can build your own capital through your allowances. Do not missed the skills on camps, reality is what you have now and make use of the opportunity because the promised of automatic employment by family members may not materialized,” Oloyede said.
He advised corps members not to limit their NYSC experience to earning only a certificate but to take full advantage of the training and opportunities available during the service year.
“You must also cultivate the habit of saving from your allowances by having something to keep from their allowances,” he added.
The NYSC DG also urged corps members to engage in meaningful ventures rather than depending on government or white-collar jobs for survival.
“These are days of little beginning, don’t despise it and use every opportunity to build yourself and make a meaning in life,” he said.
Oloyede reaffirmed that the NYSC management and the government remain committed to improving the welfare and prospects of Nigerian youths through policies and initiatives that promote self-sufficiency.
Earlier, the NYSC State Coordinator for Osun, Mr. Agbor Obim, said the DG’s visit had boosted the morale of corps members, noting that a total of 2,500 corps members — 1,637 posted to Osun and 863 to Lagos — were currently undergoing the orientation exercise in the state.
