By Nkechi Eze
The National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) has announced a major overhaul of its Skill Acquisition and Entrepreneurship Development (SAED) programme with the standardisation of its training curriculum, aimed at delivering deeper impact, enhancing competence and preparing Corps Members for the future workplace and enterprise.
The Director of Information and Public Relations of the Scheme, Caroline Embu, disclosed in an official signed statement that the Director-General of NYSC, Brigadier General Olakunle Nafiu, made this known at the 2025 second SAED stakeholders’ summit held in Abuja. The summit, themed “Empowering a Generation: Building Competence for the Future Workplace and Enterprise Through Impactful Partnerships,” brought together key partners and stakeholders supporting youth empowerment initiatives.
Brigadier General Nafiu explained that the standardisation of the SAED curriculum forms part of a broader digital transformation strategy designed to combat youth unemployment and equip Corps Members with relevant, future-facing skills. He revealed that the revamped curriculum now includes emerging competencies such as artificial intelligence and mobile application development, among others, to ensure that participants remain competitive in a rapidly evolving global economy.
The NYSC boss further disclosed that Corps Members are being integrated into the Federal Government’s 3 Million Technical Talent (3MTT) programme, while also being linked to global remote work opportunities through initiatives such as Outsource to Nigeria, NYSC jobs.ng and the SAED SME toolkit.
Describing SAED as a critical pillar of youth empowerment in Nigeria, Nafiu noted that more than 3.18 million Corps Members have completed entrepreneurship and workplace readiness training since 2012. He added that over 30,000 SAED-driven businesses have been formally registered with the Corporate Affairs Commission, contributing to job creation and national economic growth. “They are employing others and contributing to the Gross Domestic Product while demonstrating that our youths are capable change agents,” he said.
He stressed the need for increased emphasis on competence, mastery of skills and digital fluency, noting that these attributes are essential for success in today’s fast-changing world. Nafiu also described the recently launched ₦2 billion MSME loan fund for Corps entrepreneurs, established in partnership with the Bank of Industry, as a landmark achievement in advancing entrepreneurship development within the Scheme.
The Director-General commended the founding fathers of the NYSC for their foresight in embedding entrepreneurship training into the objectives of the Scheme, noting that while unemployment stood at about 1.9 per cent in 1973, it has risen significantly in recent times. He thanked SAED partners and stakeholders for their continued collaboration in addressing youth unemployment, describing the empowerment of young Nigerians as a national assignment. “Equipping our young people is not just a programme, it is a national assignment and NYSC is fully committed to it,” he said, while urging stakeholders to renew strategies that will enhance creativity, skills acquisition and confidence among Corps Members.
Earlier, the Director of SAED, Mr Kehinde Aremu-Cole, expressed appreciation to stakeholders for their sustained support in driving transformation across sectors such as technology and digital skills, creative industries, entrepreneurship development, financial empowerment and agriculture. He described past trainings, grants and mentorship sessions as impactful, noting that they are shaping Nigeria’s future through Corps Members.
Aremu-Cole called on stakeholders to establish special-purpose funding pathways capable of transforming skills and aspirations into viable enterprises. “Together, we are not just running a programme; we are building a generation,” he said, urging continued belief in the potential of Nigerian youths.
