In a bid to empower and equip youth with skills for self-reliance, the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) has urged Corps members to embrace the Skills Acquisition Entrepreneurship Development (SAED) program during their service.

Brigadier-General Yushau Ahmed, the Director-General of NYSC, emphasized that the objective of SAED was to ensure that Corps members could become employers of labor after their service, considering the declining reliance on government for traditional “white-collar” jobs.

During his visit to the 2023 Batch A, Stream 2 Corps members in Lagos on Friday, Brig.-Gen. Yushau Ahmed encouraged the youth to take advantage of the SAED program.

He highlighted the success stories of previous Corps members who had made the best use of SAED during their service and had become successful entrepreneurs and employers of labor.

“Some of you on posting for primary assignment might find yourselves serving under them because they chose to distinguish themselves, and today, they are independent and self-reliant,” said Brig.-Gen. Yushau Ahmed.

Expressing his delight at the state of the NYSC orientation camp in Iyana-Ipaja, Lagos, the Director-General commended the Batch A, Stream 2 Corps members for their exceptional commitment to cleanliness and discipline.

He acknowledged their efforts and announced his intention to donate 200 chairs and three cows to the camp as a gesture of appreciation for their exemplary conduct.

Addressing the Corps members, Brig.-Gen. Yushau Ahmed said, “My distinguished corps members in Lagos State, before I leave here, I will donate 200 chairs and three cows for you because you’re special and should see yourself as golden jubilee corps members serving during NYSC@50.”

The Corps members expressed gratitude for the Director-General’s support and encouragement. They pledged to make the most of the SAED program and utilize their acquired skills to become self-reliant and contribute to the nation’s economic growth.

The NYSC’s SAED program aims to equip Corps members with vocational and entrepreneurial skills, providing them with the tools and knowledge necessary to start their businesses and create employment opportunities.

By promoting entrepreneurship and self-reliance, the program seeks to address the challenge of unemployment among Nigerian youth and foster economic development in the country.