The NYSC Director of Skills Acquisition and Entrepreneurship Development (SAED) programme, Mr. Kehinde Aremu-Cole has disclosed that corps members will benefit more than their expectations when they embrace the SAED intervention of the laudable Scheme.
The Director, SAED, made this known in his address read during the flag-off ceremony of SAED activities for the 2024 Batch 'C' (Stream 1) orientation course held at the NYSC Permanent Orientation Camp, Ikare-Akoko, Ondo State.
Aremu-Cole, who was represented by the NYSC Ondo State Coordinator, Mrs. Kuburat Omowumi Bakare disclosed that the sizeable majority of graduate youths do not possess the practical skills necessary for the available jobs in the Nigerian economy.
Concerned with this troubling situation, Aremu-Cole said that NYSC's Skills Acquisition and Entrepreneurship Development (SAED) programme has been building the capacity of corps members since March 2012 to gain the required entrepreneurship and hands-on skills to cope with the challenges of unemployment and global socio-economic down turn.
"The NYSC SAED mandate is to contribute meaningfully to the attainment of the SDG's ( reduction of extreme poverty and hunger), among others. The programme is a nationwide initiative targeting Nigerian graduates mobilised for the one year mandatory national service. It is designed to be implemented within the framework of the camp (in-camp) and the service year (post-camp) of the corps members".
He urged the members of the service corps to key into opportunities aimed at making them economically active as entrepreneurs or be self-employed in their own business/profession.
Aremu-Cole, who was immediate past Director, NYSC North West Area 1 in Kaduna, while outlining the 11 business skills corps members can pick from, admonished them to take time out to explore the business opportunities rather than seeking elusive paid employment.
The Director hinted that NYSC has created opportunities for financing of corps business proposals through many channels such as Access Bank-funded bankable business proposal competition organised to improve the ability of corps members and bridge the gap in the quality of bankable business proposals.
Continuing, he said that corps members have already taken advantage of the NYSC/Bank of Industry Graduate Entrepreneurship Fund (GEF) through expert guidance in the writing and funding of bankable business proposals as well as embracing the opportunities available to them through participation in SAED activities.
In her welcome remarks, the Assistant Director/Head, SAED, Pastor (Mrs.) Jennifer Funmilola Dawodu encouraged members of the service corps to take advantage of the intervention and build future for themselves.
The Head of SAED admonished corps members to invest their time and resources to acquire what will put food on their table during and after the service year.
Pastor Dawodu appreciated the amiable State Coordinator for creating conducive environment for the programme to succeed in Ondo, the Sunshine State. She equally acknowledged the sacrifices and commitment of the Trainers/Facilitators for accepting to come and invest their capacity in the lives of graduate youths.
The event had on board both serving and ex-corps members who introduced their skills to the members of the service corps and the testimonies of what they had achieved and acquired under this life-changing intervention since they keyed into it since the inception of their respective service year.
The NYSC Ondo State Coordinator, Mrs. Kuburat Omowumi Bakare flagged-off the programme which will run for 28 hours, spread across nine days for the in-camp and hands-on training.
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