The Director-General of the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC), Brig.-Gen. Olakunle Nafiu, has urged corps members to cultivate a savings culture and develop multiple streams of income beyond their monthly allowance.
Nafiu made the call to reporters in Abuja on Wednesday, ahead of NYSC’s 53rd anniversary on May 22.
He highlighted the role of the NYSC Skill Acquisition and Entrepreneurship Development (SAED) programme in promoting financial discipline and encouraging corps members to embrace entrepreneurship and self-reliance.
“We encourage them to save and think beyond the monthly allowance. If you cannot save from N77,000, even if you are paid N300,000, you may still struggle to save,” he said.
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Nafiu said the scheme has continued to sensitise corps members on entrepreneurship, small business development, and opportunities in the digital economy, including remote jobs and online service delivery for organisations abroad.
“The government anywhere in the world is not the highest employer of labour. It is small businesses and private enterprises that drive employment and economic growth,” he said.
He noted that more than one million corps members had been documented with the Corporate Affairs Commission through NYSC-supported initiatives aimed at promoting entrepreneurship and formal business registration nationwide.
The director-general added that NYSC recently signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the Enterprise Development Centre of Pan-Atlantic University to digitalise entrepreneurship training for corps members across the country.
He explained that the initiative would enable corps members to access online entrepreneurship training regardless of their places of primary assignment, thereby improving participation and expanding opportunities for practical business and digital skills development.
Nafiu said NYSC Ventures had expanded operations through investments in farms, bakeries and water factories, where corps members gain practical industry experience while contributing to production and service delivery nationwide.
“We have farms, bakeries and water factories where corps members acquire practical experience. Even if they do not continue those businesses later, they leave with valuable entrepreneurial and management skills,” he said.
He urged corps members to explore opportunities in the digital economy, noting that many young Nigerians earn legitimate incomes remotely through jobs such as data entry and online support services for international organisations.
“Not all young people doing well are involved in internet fraud. Sometimes it is simply about ideas and awareness, and that is what we are exposing corps members to,” he added.
Nafiu said the proposed NYSC Trust Fund would strengthen skills acquisition, entrepreneurship development, staff training and ICT infrastructure, while improving support for corps members pursuing viable business ventures after national service.
