The National Youth Service Corps has said it is commited to working with various stakeholders to enable Corps Entrepreneurs actualize their entrepreneurial dreams.
It added that the Scheme would reinvigorate and deepen the impact of the NYSC Skill Acquisition and Entrepreneurship Development (SAED) programme.
NYSC Director-General, Brigadier Shuaibu Ibrahim disclosed this on Wednesday in Abuja at the flag-off of the 2021 NYSC SAED Festival with Corps participants from different states across the country.
He said the festival is a platform for showcasing the innovation and ingenuinety of Corps Members, who have keyed into the vision of raising a crop of young entrepreneurs that will not only strive in the development of small and medium scale enterprises, but also inspire other youths towards self-employment.
“Over the next few days, these young men and women will be competing in the display of skills in fashion design, baking/confectionaries, leatherworks, beadmaking, tie and dye, as well as Information and Communication Technology”, the DG said.
Ibrahim said the event will be an illustration of the functionality and growing acceptance of the SAED training, as well as the enormous potentials of the Corps Members adding that, it will further be an avenue for peer review and improvement of their creativity and business ideas.
The DG said on his assumption office, he has taken several steps in a bid to reinvigorate the SAED programme, including; “Hosting of NYSC SAED Stakeholders’ meeting in 2020 and 2021 respectively.
Renewal of commitment by NYSC and the Bank of Industry towards the resuscitation of the empowerment of Corps Entrepreneurs with business loans under the BOI-NYSC Graduate Empowerment Fund (GEF).
Partnership with Leventis Foundation Nigeria on Youth Empowerment in Sustainable Agriculture through year-long training and apprenticeship.
Collaboration with British-American Tobacco Foundation on empowerment of Corps Members with agricultural skills and business trainings, farm intenship, mentoring and farm input supplies.”
Other laubable achievements according to lbrahim include; “the completion of the North-West Skill Acquisition Centre in Kazaure, Jigawa State, and that of South-West at Iyin-Ekiti State through Public Private Partnership with Access Bank Plc.
Commencement of the work on the North-Central Skill Acquisition Centre in Keffi, Nasarawa State, among others”.
Speaking further, the DG expressed confidence that the gains of SAED programme will be enhanced if the proposed National Youth Service Corps Trust Fund (NYSCTF) becomes a reality.
He said apart from providing adequate facilities for more impactful vocational and entrepreneurship trainings, it will also be a sustainable source of business financing for the Corps Members.
He therefore urged the contesting Corps participants to drive their business visions with passion for individual benefit and the growth of the nation’s economy.
In his opening remark, the Director, Skill Acquisition and Entrepreneurship Development programme, Mr Hilary Nasamu said a total of 222 skill competitors will engage themselves in a process that will produce three top prize winners in each of the skills.
He stated that the 2021 SAED Festival, a follow-up to the maiden edition in 2017, is designed to develop in Corps Members, competitive but healthy entrepreneurial spirit and showcase the finnesse of the products of their endeavour.
After the opening ceremony the Director-General visited the Corps contestants in Food Processing/Confectionaries at their centre at the Industrial Training Fund Centre and also the ICT Corps Contestants at New Horizons Computer Learning Centre, both in Abuja where he encouraged them to put in their best.
