The National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) has disclosed that a total of 58,933 Corps Members have so far been empowered with various digital skills through its entrepreneurship initiatives aimed at driving youth empowerment across the country.
The Director General of NYSC, Brigadier General Olakunle Nafiu, made this known in his goodwill message at a retreat organised by the Federal Ministry of Youth Development with the theme, “Achieving the youth focused Presidential Priorities And Deliverables”, held in Abuja.
General Nafiu stated that for over two years since the current administration came on board, the NYSC has continued to draw strength from the support of the Federal Ministry of Youth Development and the Federal Government. He explained that the Scheme has remained committed to the success of the sixth priority area, which covers education, health, and social investment as crucial pillars of national development.
While congratulating the Minister of Youth Development on his achievements, the NYSC DG noted that Ayodele Olawande’s passion has served as an inspiration for Nigerian youths.
“As at the second quarter of 2025, Fifty-Six Thousand and Thirteen Corps Members had been exposed to digital skills through ICT training at NYSC Orientation Camps nationwide. Our partnership with Enterprise Development Centre has yielded digital skills training for Two Thousand, Nine Hundred and Twenty Female Corps Members,” he said.
He further explained that NYSC has been contributing to one of the key deliverables of the sixth priority area, which focuses on galvanising internal and external economies of scale for youth entrepreneurship through inter-agency engagement and collaboration.
According to him, the Scheme will continue to strengthen its partnerships with stakeholders such as Access Bank, Unity Bank, Wema Bank, British American Tobacco Nigeria Foundation, NNPC Foundation/Kudimata, and Activate Success to enhance empowerment initiatives through the Skill Acquisition and Entrepreneurship Development programme.
He said these collaborations, alongside other efforts, have enabled NYSC to contribute to the second deliverable, which is the improvement of employability and access of youths to business and income generating opportunities.
General Nafiu disclosed that the number of Corps Members participating in mentorship, apprenticeship, internship, and career development opportunities has continued to increase. From June 2023 to the second quarter of 2025, a total of 385,461 Corps Members took part in the SAED programme.
“Through our public and private sector partners, One Thousand, One Hundred and Eighteen Corps Members were given financial support to start their businesses over the last two years,” he added.
The DG also revealed that NYSC had made notable contributions in the education sector, with 574,000 Corps Members deployed to teaching assignments, especially in rural schools, within the same period. In the health sector, 38,112 Corps Members were deployed to health facilities across Nigeria, with emphasis on rural areas, which resulted in improved access to healthcare for citizens.
He pointed out that under the NYSC Health Initiative for Rural Dwellers, a total of 49,839 Nigerians benefitted from medical outreaches, as part of efforts to promote universal health coverage.
General Nafiu stressed that all these achievements were the result of a shared vision and dedication towards the success of the Renewed Hope Agenda of the Federal Government. He pledged the Scheme’s continued partnership with the Ministry of Youth Development and other stakeholders to implement programmes that would accelerate national development.
In his address at the event, the Minister of Youth Development, Mr Ayodele Olawande, urged young Nigerians to make proper use of the youth help desk located at the Ministry.
He recalled that President Bola Tinubu had earlier directed the Ministry to serve as a place of hope and empowerment for Nigerian youths.
The Minister revealed that the Ministry has trained 15,509 youths in digital skills, surpassing its initial target of 10,000.
“We planned to support Eighty Thousand youths in mentorship and career development but we recorded Ninety-Seven Thousand, Two Hundred and Twelve beneficiaries. In crime reduction and peace building, we trained a total of Five Thousand and Twenty Three. The Nigerian Youth Academy (NIYA) has recorded over Two Hundred and Fifty Thousand Nigerian youths,” Olawande said.
He also emphasised the need to fast track activities on the National Youth Investment Fund to accelerate other initiatives and achievements recorded by the Ministry.
