According to an official statement signed by the Director, Information and Public Relations of the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC), Caroline Embu, the reigning Miss World Nigeria, Tamunosoye Karibi-George, has sought the partnership of the NYSC to expand her youth empowerment initiative through entrepreneurship and skills acquisition programmes across the country.
Karibi-George made the appeal during a courtesy visit to the Director General of the NYSC, Brigadier General Olakunle Nafiu, at the Scheme’s National Directorate Headquarters in Abuja, where she requested approval to visit NYSC Orientation Camps nationwide to inspire Corps Members to embrace the Skills Acquisition and Entrepreneurship Development (SAED) programme.
The beauty queen, who is also a former Corps Member, said her pet project focuses on equipping young Nigerians with vocational skills. She disclosed that she currently operates a fashion design training centre in Port Harcourt, Rivers State, where young men and women receive practical training and are provided with start-up kits upon completion of the programme.
Reflecting on her own experience as a Corps Member, Karibi-George said her participation in SAED training at the NYSC Permanent Orientation Camp in Kubwa, Abuja, in 2021 inspired her to establish the fashion design centre.
She explained that beneficiaries of the programme receive business tools rather than cash grants to ensure they invest directly in the skills they have acquired.
Karibi-George also invited the NYSC Director General, staff and Corps Members to her national send-off ceremony scheduled for August 5, 2026, at the Transcorp Hilton, Abuja, ahead of her participation in the 73rd Miss World Festival in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam.
Responding, the NYSC Director General, Brigadier General Olakunle Nafiu, commended the Miss World Nigeria for her commitment to youth empowerment, describing her initiative as complementary to the objectives of the Scheme’s SAED programme.
He noted that the programme, introduced in 2012, was designed to equip Corps Members with practical skills that would enable them to become self-reliant and create employment opportunities for others.
General Nafiu said the NYSC remains committed to partnering with individuals and organisations that promote entrepreneurship among Nigerian youths, stressing that skills acquisition remains one of the most effective strategies for reducing unemployment and poverty.
He encouraged Corps Members to acquire at least one vocational skill during the orientation course and continue developing it after service to create multiple streams of income.
The NYSC Director General also congratulated Karibi-George on emerging as Miss World Nigeria 2026, succeeding Joy Mojisola Raimi, and expressed confidence in her ability to represent the country creditably at the international pageant.
He assured her of the Scheme’s moral support and prayers, describing her as a proud ambassador of the NYSC whose participation in the global competition presents an opportunity to project Nigeria’s rich cultural heritage through cultural diplomacy.
