RismadarVoice Reporters
May 23, 2026
As the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) marks its 53rd anniversary, the Director-General of the Scheme, Brigadier General Olakunle Nafiu, has called for public support toward the approval of the proposed NYSC Trust Fund to strengthen youth empowerment and entrepreneurship initiatives across the country.
Speaking at the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) Forum in Abuja, General Nafiu said the Trust Fund would significantly expand the NYSC’s Skills Acquisition and Entrepreneurship Development (SAED) programme by providing Corps Members with start-up capital to establish businesses after service.
According to him, the initiative would help create jobs, strengthen the Scheme’s venture services, and reduce youth restiveness by engaging graduates in productive ventures capable of curbing idleness and social vices.
The NYSC Director-General stated that the Scheme has continued to fulfil its mandate of promoting national unity, cohesion, and socio-economic development since it was established 53 years ago by the administration of General Yakubu Gowon.
He described the vision behind the establishment of the NYSC after the Civil War as laudable, noting that the Scheme has over the years fostered unity through inter-tribal marriages, cultural integration, and the deployment policy that posts Corps Members outside their states of origin.
Nafiu added that many lasting friendships and relationships have also been built through the programme, stressing that the impact of the Scheme on national integration and development cannot be underestimated.
Highlighting reforms introduced over the years, the DG said the NYSC has embraced technological innovations, including electronic identity cards, digital record-keeping, online camp registration, and social media communication systems.
He explained that the SAED programme, introduced in 2012, was designed to strengthen the informal sector of the economy through entrepreneurship training for Corps Members.
According to him, the programme has continued to evolve, with the NYSC recently signing a Memorandum of Understanding with the Enterprise Development Centre of Pan-Atlantic University.
“More than 500,000 Corps Members have registered their businesses with the Corporate Affairs Commission,” Nafiu disclosed.
He reiterated Management’s commitment to ensuring seamless online registration for Corps Members nationwide.
On orientation camp facilities, the NYSC helmsman said accommodation remains a major factor in determining the number of Corps Members deployed to camps across the country.
He noted that state governments are expected under the NYSC Act to provide and maintain conducive orientation camps, operational vehicles for State Coordinators, and camp subventions, while local government chairmen are responsible for providing Corps lodges.
General Nafiu revealed that Enugu and Osun states are currently renovating their orientation camps, while Lagos State is constructing a new orientation camp to improve the welfare of Corps Members.
The DG also said he has continued engaging stakeholders at all levels to ensure they fulfil their obligations to the Scheme.
He appealed to Student Affairs Officers in Corps-producing institutions to submit the names of qualified graduates promptly to avoid delays in mobilisation.
On data management, Nafiu disclosed that the Nigeria Education Repository Databank (NERD), a Federal Government initiative for maintaining records of graduates, would receive full compliance from the NYSC.
The Director-General further advised Corps Members to comply with the Scheme’s security guidelines, including avoiding night travel, lone movements, and risky adventures.
He added that the NYSC has partnered with security agencies to ensure the safety of Corps Members travelling to orientation camps nationwide.
Nafiu also stated that all Corps Members are enrolled under the National Health Insurance Authority (NHIA) package, which provides free medical treatment throughout the service year.
According to him, NYSC ventures such as farms, bakeries, water factories, garment factories, and other enterprise initiatives not only provide vocational skills to Corps Members but also generate internal revenue for the Scheme.
“The Scheme is trying to inculcate the culture of savings in Corps Members through multiple streams of income,” he said.
“Entrepreneurship development enables them to develop themselves and also train others to acquire new skills towards self-employment.”
The NYSC DG added that the Scheme has continued sensitising Corps Members on the responsible use of social media by encouraging positive online engagement that would not bring them into conflict with the law.
