The Director-General of the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC), Brigadier General Olakunle Nafiu, has reaffirmed the Scheme’s commitment to producing a new generation of young Nigerians equipped with entrepreneurial skills to drive the country’s economic growth.
Speaking at the 2026 National Youth Entrepreneurship and Empowerment (YEEP) programme in Abuja, Nafiu said the NYSC would continue to prioritise youth empowerment through innovation, digital solutions and practical skills acquisition aimed at reducing unemployment and promoting self-reliance.
The event, themed “Entrepreneurship, Innovation, Courage and Impact,” brought together government officials, development partners, business leaders and young entrepreneurs to promote enterprise development among Nigerian youths.
According to the NYSC boss, the Scheme’s vision aligns with the Federal Government’s Renewed Hope Agenda, which places youth employment, inclusive economic growth, digital transformation and private-sector-led enterprise at the centre of national development.
He said the NYSC’s Skills Acquisition and Entrepreneurship Development (SAED) programme has continued to transform graduates from job seekers into job creators by equipping them with practical vocational and business management skills.
Nafiu also praised the Founder and Chief Executive Officer of Activate Success International Foundation, Mrs Love Idoko-Uloko, for supporting corps members through entrepreneurship training, mentorship and business grants.
He noted that the foundation had visited several NYSC orientation camps across the country to encourage corps members to embrace innovation and self-employment while providing financial support to deserving beneficiaries.
“Our mission is clear; to empower the next generation to create jobs rather than seek them,” Nafiu said, adding that the partnership between the NYSC and the foundation is built on a shared vision of raising self-reliant and productive Nigerian youths.
He added that the collaboration had already yielded tangible results through grants, mentorship and post-camp entrepreneurial support for corps members nationwide, promising that the Scheme would further strengthen the partnership.
Speaking at the event, Idoko-Uloko disclosed that the Activate Success International Foundation had impacted thousands of young Nigerians through entrepreneurship programmes, with more than 85 per cent of beneficiaries successfully registering their businesses.
She added that the foundation had disbursed over ₦50 million in business grants over the years and encouraged young people to transform innovative ideas into viable businesses capable of solving societal challenges.
Delivering the keynote address, the Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, Rt. Hon. Benjamin Kalu, urged Nigerian youths to remain disciplined, visionary and committed to taking advantage of government-backed opportunities to build sustainable careers and businesses.
One of the highlights of the event was the presentation of business grants worth ₦500,000 each to 25 young entrepreneurs, sponsored by Flutterwave in partnership with Activate Success International Foundation.
The programme also featured goodwill messages from the Minister of Women Affairs and Social Development, Mrs Imaan Sulaiman-Ibrahim, the Chief Judge of the FCT High Court, Hon. Justice Hussein Baba Yusuf, and other dignitaries.
The NYSC was among six organisations recognised with awards for their contributions to the success of Activate Success International Foundation’s youth empowerment initiatives.
