The National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) has urged Corps members to embrace self-employment opportunities available through the NYSC Skills Acquisition and Entrepreneurship Development (SAED) training. The Director General of the Scheme, Brigadier General Olakunle Nafiu, gave the advice while addressing the 2025 Batch C Corps members at the NYSC Permanent Orientation Camp in Kaiama, Bayelsa State.
He encouraged the Corps members to stay committed to both the in-camp and post-camp training components of the SAED programme, explaining that the initiative was designed to harness their potentials as emerging entrepreneurs. According to him, the Scheme is working with several financial and development institutions to support young entrepreneurs. He said the NYSC was in partnership with the Bank of Industry, the Central Bank of Nigeria, Wema Bank, Unity Bank, Kudimata and the NNPC Foundation, among others, to provide loans that would help Corps entrepreneurs bring their business ideas to life.
The DG also urged the Corps members to build friendships across different socio-economic and cultural backgrounds, noting that such relationships would help strengthen national unity and integration. He advised them to respect and appreciate the traditions of their host communities, adding that they should “learn from the culture, values and identity of Bayelsa people to enable you to integrate seamlessly into the communities you will be posted to”.
In her welcome remarks, the NYSC Bayelsa State Coordinator, Mrs Obiageli Okpalifo, informed the DG that the Corps members had been actively participating in all camp activities. She added that camp officials were working together as a unified team to ensure the success of the Orientation exercise.
She also expressed appreciation to the Bayelsa State Government and other stakeholders for their continuous support to the Scheme, pledging to sustain advocacy for the speedy completion of ongoing projects in the camp as well as other forms of assistance.
