Brigadier General Yushau Ahmed, Director General of the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC), announced that more than 38,000 corps members have successfully delved into entrepreneurship and are thriving as business owners.
During the Skill Acquisition and Entrepreneurship Development (SAED) Stakeholders’ Meeting in Abuja, General Ahmed lauded the achievements of the corps members, stating that 38,433 have established their own businesses, while 11,881 received financial empowerment from collaborating partners.
He highlighted the success of the training program, with 32,402 corps members trained across eight modules on ‘kick-starting my business fundamentals’. Additionally, 1,100 corps members are set to receive grants from the NNPC Foundation to initiate their businesses.
General Ahmed underscored the importance of partnerships with organizations like Kudimata and financial institutions like Access Bank Plc, Unity Bank, and Wema Bank, which have played a crucial role in supporting corps members’ entrepreneurial endeavors.
While recognizing that not all corps members may pursue entrepreneurship, General Ahmed mentioned the NYSC job portal and free digital training programs to assist those inclined towards white-collar jobs.
Despite the program’s successes, General Ahmed outlined challenges such as the need for more capacity-building training, scholarships, access to markets, and favorable loan conditions. He called for continued support from stakeholders to address these challenges.
Mrs. Ngozi Nwatarali, Director of SAED, emphasized the importance of stakeholder collaboration in achieving the program’s objectives and empowering youths to contribute to national development, expressing optimism in overcoming challenges with collective support.
