NYSC expands SAED programme, introduces AI, App devt skills
The National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) has announced a major overhaul of its Skill Acquisition and Entrepreneurship Development (SAED) programme, with the introduction of artificial intelligence (AI), mobile application development and other digital skills.
The Director-General of the NYSC, Brigadier General Olakunle Nafiu, disclosed this at the 2025 second SAED stakeholders’ summit held in Abuja on Friday.
According to Nafiu, the revamped programme is part of a broader effort to standardise the SAED curriculum and deepen its impact in tackling youth unemployment across the country.
He said the scheme has embarked on a comprehensive digital transformation of SAED, describing it as a strategic response to the changing global labour market and the growing demand for technology-driven skills.
“The new SAED curriculum now includes emerging skills such as artificial intelligence and app development, alongside other digital competencies,” Nafiu said.
The NYSC boss explained that corps members are also being integrated into the Federal Government’s 3 Million Technical Talent (3MTT) programme, as well as global remote work platforms through initiatives like Outsource to Nigeria, NYSC Jobs.ng and the SAED SME Toolkit.
Highlighting the impact of the programme so far, Nafiu said more than 3.18 million corps members have undergone entrepreneurship and workplace readiness training since 2012. He added that over 30,000 businesses established by ex-corps members have been formally registered with the Corporate Affairs Commission.
“These young entrepreneurs are employing others and contributing to the nation’s Gross Domestic Product, proving that Nigerian youths are capable change agents,” he said.
Nafiu stressed the need for greater emphasis on competence, mastery of skills and digital fluency to make corps members competitive in a fast-evolving economy.
He also described the recently launched ₦2 billion MSME loan fund for corps entrepreneurs—set up in partnership with the Bank of Industry—as a major milestone in supporting youth-led businesses.
Reflecting on the origins of the scheme, the DG praised the founding fathers of the NYSC for embedding entrepreneurship training into the programme’s objectives.
“The unemployment rate in 1973 stood at about 1.9 per cent, but today it is around 6.9 per cent. This shows the urgent need to equip our young people with employable skills,” he said.
Nafiu called on partners and stakeholders to sustain their collaboration with the NYSC, noting that empowering young Nigerians is a national responsibility.
Earlier, the Director of SAED, Mr Kehinde Aremu-Cole, thanked stakeholders for their contributions to training, grants and mentorship across sectors such as technology, creative industries, agriculture and financial empowerment.
He urged partners to create dedicated funding pathways that would help corps members turn their skills into viable enterprises.
“Together, we are not just running a programme; we are building a generation,” Aremu-Cole said.