25 youths receive N500,000 grants as NYSC promotes entrepreneurship in Abuja

Twenty-five young Nigerians have received business grants of N500,000 each as the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) intensified efforts to promote entrepreneurship, innovation and youth empowerment across the country.

The grants were presented at the 2026 edition of the National Youth Entrepreneurship and Empowerment Programme (YEEP), held in Abuja with the theme, “Entrepreneurship, Innovation, Courage and Impact.”

According to a statement issued on Thursday by Caroline Embu, director of Information and Public Relations, the initiative was supported by Flutterwave, one of the partners of Activate Success International Foundation, alongside other incentives aimed at fostering youth enterprise.

Speaking at the event, Olakunle Nafiu, director-general of the NYSC, said the scheme would continue to nurture a generation of young Nigerians capable of shaping the country’s economic future through innovation, entrepreneurship and productive engagement.

Nafiu reaffirmed the Scheme’s commitment to youth empowerment and human capital development through digital solutions and strategic partnerships.

He commended Love Idoko-Uloko, Founder and Chief Executive Officer of Activate Success International Foundation, for her contributions to youth development through entrepreneurship training, mentorship and financial support for young Nigerians.

The NYSC boss noted that the foundation had visited orientation camps across the country to sensitise Corps Members on creativity, self-employment and enterprise development.

He added that Idoko-Uloko had facilitated skills acquisition programmes for more than one million youths, provided business grants to numerous corps members and created opportunities for mentorship and business growth.

According to him, the partnership between the NYSC and Activate Success International Foundation is anchored on a shared commitment to building a self-reliant generation of Nigerian youths equipped with practical skills and an entrepreneurial mindset.

“Our mission is clear: to empower the next generation to create jobs, not seek them,” Nafiu said.

He described the NYSC as one of Nigeria’s foremost nation-building institutions, noting that its role has evolved beyond national integration to include deliberate efforts at mentoring disciplined, resilient and productive young citizens.

The Director-General said the Scheme’s mandate aligns with the Federal Government’s Renewed Hope Agenda, which places youth employment, digital transformation, inclusive economic growth and private sector-led enterprise at the heart of national development.

He explained that the NYSC Skills Acquisition and Entrepreneurship Development (SAED) programme is being strategically aligned with Nigeria’s micro, small and medium enterprises (MSME) framework, recognising the sector as a major driver of job creation, innovation and local value addition.

Through the programme, he said, many young Nigerians have been transformed from job seekers into job creators by equipping them with the skills, tools and confidence required to succeed in business.

Nafiu further disclosed that the existing partnership with Activate Success International Foundation had delivered tangible benefits to Corps Members through grants, mentorship and post-camp entrepreneurial support across the country.

He pledged that the NYSC would continue to strengthen collaborations that advance the welfare, empowerment and productive engagement of Corps Members.

“NYSC remains steadfast in strengthening partnerships that will advance the welfare, empowerment and productive engagement of our Corps Members. Our mandate is unwavering in championing the national aspiration for a prosperous and sustainable Nigeria,” he said.

In her remarks, Love Idoko-Uloko said the foundation had impacted thousands of Nigerian youths through entrepreneurship programmes, adding that more than 85 per cent of businesses supported by the organisation had been formally registered.

She disclosed that over N50 million had been disbursed as business grants to young Nigerians over the years, helping beneficiaries establish and expand their enterprises.

Idoko-Uloko urged young people to transform their ideas into practical solutions that create value and address societal challenges.

Also speaking, Benjamin Kalu, Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, encouraged Nigerian youths to remain visionary, disciplined and committed to taking advantage of the opportunities being created by the federal government to build successful futures.