The Director-General of the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC), Brig. Gen. Olakunle Nafiu, has said the Skill Acquisition and Entrepreneurship Development (SAED) programme was introduced to equip Nigerian graduates with skills to become self-reliant and create employment opportunities.
Nafiu stated this at the NYSC Permanent Orientation Camp in Afikpo, Ebonyi State, while addressing Corps members deployed to the state for the 2026 Batch B Stream II service year.
The NYSC boss explained that the SAED programme, introduced into the orientation course curriculum in 2012, was developed in response to the growing challenge of unemployment among young Nigerians.
He said no government, regardless of its resources, could provide white-collar jobs for every young person, stressing the need for graduates to acquire entrepreneurial skills and create opportunities for themselves and others.
“Long time ago, NYSC Management in its wisdom foresaw the challenge of unemployment we are facing today, that was why it designed and introduced the SAED programme to address unemployment and foster entrepreneurship,” he said.
Nafiu urged the Corps members to take the SAED training seriously both during and after the orientation camp, saying the skills acquired could enable them to establish businesses and become financially independent after their national service.
According to him, the programme has produced numerous young Nigerians who have successfully established businesses after undergoing the training.
The Director-General also reminded the Corps members that the core mandate of the NYSC remained the promotion of national unity and integration.
He urged them to uphold the ideals of the scheme by interacting freely with colleagues from different ethnic, cultural, educational and religious backgrounds.
Nafiu further advised the Corps members to respect the customs and traditions of their host communities when deployed to their places of primary assignment.
He said understanding and respecting the culture of their host communities would help them build meaningful relationships and gain the confidence of the people.
“According due respect to the customs and traditions of the members of your host community is one major way of earning their trust and confidence, and that would attract goodwill and hospitality for you,” he emphasised.
The NYSC Director-General also encouraged the Corps members to embrace the culture of their host communities by learning their local languages, wearing traditional attire and appreciating their local delicacies.
He said such cultural integration would further promote the spirit of unity and national cohesion for which the NYSC was established.
Earlier, the NYSC Ebonyi State Coordinator, Mrs Pat Maidariya, said activities at the orientation camp were progressing smoothly, with Corps members participating actively in the various programmes.
Maidariya also disclosed that camp officials were working together to ensure the successful completion of the orientation exercise.
The SAED programme remains one of the NYSC’s major interventions aimed at equipping Corps members with vocational and entrepreneurial skills that can support self-employment and reduce dependence on scarce white-collar jobs.
