By Nkechi Eze
The National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) has reaffirmed its commitment to deepening its strategic partnership with the Small and Medium Enterprises Development Agency of Nigeria (SMEDAN) in a renewed push to expand youth empowerment and entrepreneurship development across the country.
The commitment was restated in Abuja when the Director-General of the NYSC, Brigadier General Olakunle Nafiu, received his counterpart from SMEDAN, Dr. Charles Odii, during a courtesy visit aimed at strengthening ongoing collaboration between both institutions. In an official statement signed by the Director of Information and Public Relations of the NYSC, Caroline Embu, the engagement was described as part of broader efforts to scale up opportunities for Corps Members under the Scheme’s Skill Acquisition and Entrepreneurship Development (SAED) programme.
Brigadier General Nafiu emphasized that SMEDAN remains a critical stakeholder in the successful implementation of SAED, noting that the partnership has already enabled thousands of Corps Members to acquire relevant skills and establish thriving businesses nationwide. According to him, the NYSC continues to pursue policies and programmes that promote national unity, integration, and socio-economic development, with entrepreneurship development serving as a major pillar of its empowerment agenda.
He described SMEDAN as a key partner whose interventions have contributed significantly to the emergence of Corps-led enterprises that now play a role in Nigeria’s Gross Domestic Product, thereby supporting national economic growth. He further commended the agency for its extensive impact across multiple value chains, particularly in entrepreneurship advocacy, financial literacy, skills acquisition, and facilitation of access to business funding.
Reaffirming the Scheme’s commitment to youth empowerment, the NYSC Director-General disclosed that the organisation would continue to prioritise the SAED programme while strengthening linkages with financial institutions and other relevant stakeholders to ensure that Corps entrepreneurs enjoy improved access to loans, grants, and other forms of business support.
Earlier in his remarks, SMEDAN Director-General Dr. Charles Odii called for a review of the existing Memorandum of Understanding between both agencies in order to further enhance the empowerment framework available to Corps Members. He explained that updating the agreement would help align both institutions with emerging realities in entrepreneurship development, digital innovation, and sustainable business growth.
Dr. Odii revealed that SMEDAN currently supports over 39 million small businesses across Nigeria, underscoring the agency’s pivotal role in job creation, poverty reduction, and industrial expansion. He proposed the establishment of an NYSC Community Development Service group dedicated specifically to increasing public awareness of SMEDAN’s programmes, thereby extending the agency’s reach at grassroots level.
He further described SMEDAN as the Federal Government’s apex institution for the development of small businesses, noting that the NYSC remains a strategic partner in achieving its mandate to nurture enterprise, stimulate innovation, and expand economic participation among young Nigerians.
Expressing the agency’s commitment to deeper engagement with the Scheme, Dr. Odii stated that SMEDAN intends to begin early entrepreneurship orientation for Corps Members, starting from the Orientation Camp, with the goal of transforming them into business development service providers even before the completion of their national service.
He also disclosed plans to train NYSC officials in relevant business and entrepreneurial skills that could prepare them for business ownership and financial independence after retirement.
The renewed partnership between NYSC and SMEDAN is expected to further strengthen youth-focused enterprise development, expand access to skills and funding, and reinforce national efforts toward job creation and sustainable economic growth.
