The Director-General of the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC), Brigadier General Olakunle Nafiu, has urged Corps Members to embrace entrepreneurship and vocational skills as a pathway to achieving lasting financial independence.
Nafiu gave the advice during an interactive session with the 2026 Batch ‘B’ Stream I Corps Members deployed to Niger State, currently undergoing their orientation course at the NYSC Orientation Camp in Kubwa, Abuja, due to the ongoing renovation of the Niger State camp.
He encouraged the Corps Members to take full advantage of the NYSC Skills Acquisition and Entrepreneurship Development (SAED) programme, describing entrepreneurship as essential for navigating Nigeria’s current economic realities.
The NYSC Director-General advised them against depending solely on their monthly allowance or the hope of securing white-collar jobs after service, stressing the importance of acquiring practical vocational and entrepreneurial skills that can provide sustainable sources of income.
According to him, the one-year national service offers a unique opportunity for young graduates to develop marketable skills that can make them self-reliant and employers of labour.
Nafiu also urged the Corps Members to cultivate an entrepreneurial mindset, create multiple streams of income and contribute meaningfully to the country’s economic development.
Beyond skills acquisition, he encouraged them to build lasting friendships during the orientation course, noting that relationships formed during national service often evolve into valuable professional, business and leadership networks.
He further advised them to remain disciplined throughout the service year, pursue personal development and continuous learning, and channel grievances through established NYSC administrative procedures rather than unofficial platforms, assuring them that genuine concerns would receive prompt attention.
The Director-General also reminded the Corps Members to uphold the core values of the NYSC by demonstrating integrity, responsibility and commitment at their various places of primary assignment.
Earlier, the Niger State NYSC Coordinator, Mrs Martina Shuaibu Ibrahim, disclosed that 783 Corps Members, comprising 296 males and 487 females, had been successfully registered for the orientation course.
She said the exercise had progressed smoothly through the collaborative efforts of the NYSC, the Federal Capital Territory Secretariat and camp officials.
Ibrahim commended the Corps Members for their discipline and active participation in camp activities, describing their conduct as exemplary.
