EVERY year, thousands of graduates pass through the mandatory one year National Youth Service Corps (NYSC). Afterwards, they are ushered to the real life where they face the daunting task of securing a job.
Established in 1973, its primary objectives are to promote national unity, inculcate discipline and patriotism in Nigerian youths, and encourage self-reliance through skill development. Although the attainment of promoting national unity is still open to debate, the promotion of self -reliance through skill acquisition is still a subject that cannot be said to have been realized optimally even if the potential to pave the path of young graduates to a better future is there.
The future of higher institution graduates after undergoing the one-year national service has been of concern to Rt. Hon. Sheriff Oborevwori, Governor of Delta State. He uses every opportunity to promote the imperative of making the service year a platform for equipping them that pass through it with requisite skills to enable them engage in productive ventures rather than wait for non-existent jobs.
When he received the Delta State Coordinator of the NYSC, Mr Alao Olusegun, in his office recently, Governor Oborevwori again called for a rejig of the scheme to use the period to equip the younger generation with the innovative skills to enable them venture into the corporate world not as job seekers but as people with skills that will aid them to become innovators, entrepreneurs and wealth creators.
Governor Oborevwori had previously emphasized the importance of innovation and entrepreneurship. In March 2024, he identified entrepreneurship and skill acquisition as crucial for wealth creation amid Nigeria’s economic challenges. He said corps members can contribute more meaningfully to sustainable development by offering innovative solutions to the problems faced by their host communities.
Indeed, the one-year national service has long gone beyond posting corps members outside their state of origin to widen their knowledge of Nigeria. With economic challenges confronting the country, the scheme should be seen as a vehicle for preparing corps for the challenging business world that awaits them.
To prepare them for post-service challenges, the scheme should focus on career development, financial literacy, and entrepreneurship during the service year. Thankfully, the NYSC already has the Skills Acquisition and Entrepreneurship Development (SAED) programme. Of course, its content and effectiveness need to be improved and strengthened.
The SAED programme holds a lot of potential. While many corps members attend the initial in-camp SAED training, participation often drops off during the more crucial post-camp, hands-on phase. We are of the view that to gain real skills, corps members must commit to completing the entire training. The programme could improve its post-camp segment by securing better training venues, improving instructor attitudes, and creating a more favourable environment for learning.
Given that the NYSC provides a facility for members to access grants and loan schemes from its partners, like the N2 billion loan initiative through the Bank of Industry, SAED participants should be encouraged to take advantage of the opportunity to fund their business ideas.
Corps members should acquire marketable skills, especially digital ones which can lead to freelancing or direct employment. The service year, with its free time, is an ideal period for professional certifications. These certifications can significantly improve employability and provide a competitive edge.
We wholeheartedly agree with Governor Oborevwori that entrepreneurship programmes during the service year is critical as entrepreneurship is the very key to wealth creation.
