NYSC Urges Corps Members to Save and Explore Multiple Income Streams Beyond Allowance
DG Nafiu advises young Nigerians in national service to embrace entrepreneurship, digital skills, and financial discipline for long-term independence.
NYSC Director-General Olakunle Nafiu has urged corps members to save part of their allowance and explore multiple income streams, stressing entrepreneurship, digital skills, and financial discipline as key to long-term success.
The Director-General of the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC), Brig.-Gen. Olakunle Nafiu, has urged corps members to develop a savings culture and explore multiple sources of income beyond their monthly allowance.
He made the call during the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) Forum in Abuja on Wednesday, ahead of the scheme’s 53rd anniversary scheduled for May 22.
Nafiu emphasized the importance of the NYSC Skill Acquisition and Entrepreneurship Development (SAED) programme in promoting financial discipline and encouraging corps members to become self-reliant through entrepreneurship.
“We encourage them to save and think beyond monthly allowance. If you cannot save from N77,000, even if you are paid N300,000, you may still struggle to save,” he said.
He noted that the scheme continues to sensitise young graduates on entrepreneurship, small business development, and opportunities within the digital economy, including remote jobs and online services for international clients.
“The government anywhere in the world is not the highest employer of labour. It is small businesses and private enterprises that drive employment and economic growth,” Nafiu said.
According to him, over one million corps members have been registered with the Corporate Affairs Commission through NYSC-supported initiatives aimed at promoting entrepreneurship and formal business registration across Nigeria.
He also disclosed that NYSC recently signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the Enterprise Development Centre of Pan-Atlantic University to digitalise entrepreneurship training for corps members nationwide.
Nafiu explained that the initiative would allow corps members to access online training regardless of their place of primary assignment, expanding opportunities for skill acquisition and digital empowerment.
He added that NYSC Ventures has expanded its operations through farms, bakeries, and water factories where corps members gain hands-on experience in production and management.
“We have farms, bakeries and water factories where corps members acquire practical experience. Even if they do not continue those businesses later, they leave with valuable entrepreneurial and management skills,” he said.
He further encouraged corps members to explore opportunities in the digital economy, noting that many young Nigerians earn legitimate income remotely through online services for international organisations.
“Not all young people doing well are involved in internet fraud. Sometimes it is simply about ideas and awareness, and that is what we are exposing corps members to,” he added.
Nafiu also revealed that the proposed NYSC Trust Fund would strengthen skills acquisition programmes, entrepreneurship development, ICT infrastructure, and support for corps members pursuing business ventures after service.
