NYSC and EDC partner to provide Nigerian youth with digital skills and entrepreneurship training to tackle unemployment

The Enterprise Development Centre of Pan-Atlantic University in Lekki, Lagos, hosted Brigadier General Olakunle Oluseye Nafiu, Director General of the National Youth Service Corps, on Friday, in a meeting to advance a collaborative digital platform for youth skills acquisition and entrepreneurship development.

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The partnership aims to equip NYSC members with contemporary skills and entrepreneurial knowledge, addressing unemployment among young Nigerians.

Brigadier General Nafiu described the initiative as a “game changer” for the scheme.

“The skills acquisition and entrepreneurship development department of NYSC is equipped to tackle unemployment in the country among the youth,” Nafiu said.

“It is part of our mandate to ensure that young people are gainfully employed and productive to society.”

Nafiu highlighted the need for modern approaches tailored to tech-savvy corps members, stating that traditional booklets would no longer suffice.

He emphasised that collaboration with EDC would “restructure, remodel, and redefine” NYSC’s training programmes.

Dr Olawale Anifowose, Programmes and Partnerships Director at EDC, said the visit marked a significant step in offering corps members access to EDC’s SME toolkit, providing comprehensive resources to support both employment and entrepreneurship.

“All of the resources will build their capacity to add value as young Nigerians,” he added.

The Skills Acquisition and Entrepreneurship Development (SAED) Director, Mr Kehinde Aremu-Cole, noted that since 2012 NYSC has focused on skills acquisition, but recognised that skills alone are insufficient without an entrepreneurial mindset.

“A skilled person without entrepreneurship will still struggle, and GDP contribution will be limited,” he said, praising EDC for its curriculum development and manpower training support.

Dr Nneka Okekearu, Director at EDC, expressed excitement about the engagement, emphasising the university’s long-standing commitment to fostering youth entrepreneurship.

“EDC is 23 years old, and our focus is on deepening the entrepreneurship ecosystem. Entrepreneurship is everywhere, not just small kiosks,” she said.

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The initiative reflects nearly a decade of collaboration between NYSC and EDC, with both organisations aiming to deliver impactful, modern training that meets the needs of Nigeria’s evolving workforce.