EDC, NYSC plan entrepreneurship skill acquisition by corps members to tackle unemployment

The Enterprise Development Centre (EDC) of Pan Atlantic University has entered into discussion with management of National Youth Service Corp for creation of digital platform that would enable NYSC members to acquire skills and entrepreneurship education.

The two managements started this discussion when Brigadier General Olakunle Oluseye Nafiu, Director General of National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) paid a visit to EDC recently, in Lagos.

According to a statement, Nafiu said, “The skills acquisition and entrepreneurship development department of NYSC is equipped to tackle unemployment in the country among the youth. That is the direction the scheme is headed because we are mindful of the high unemployment rate in the larger Nigerian employment space,” he added.

‎‎According to him, “It is part of our mandate and responsibility to tackle unemployment. It is one thing for parents and the government to put resources together, subsidize education, get children through the formal education sector, and it is another for the government to be concerned about getting them gainfully employed and productive to the larger society.”

‎‎Therefore, he stated that “As part of our own contribution to this, we have taken our skills, acquisition and entrepreneurship development programme to another level because we are aware that we can’t go the entire stretch alone, we look for partners that are willing collaborate with us and I think EDC is one of the foremost partners we need to bring on to restructure, remodel, and redefine the plans we have.”

Speaking on the initiative, Olawale Anifowose, Programmes and Partnerships Director, Enterprise Development Centre (EDC), stated that this visit marks a huge step towards properly defining the offering which we have for corps members, which is access to our SME toolkit, that will offer them all of the resources that they need as an entrepreneur in Nigeria.

He said, “Whether they’re going into paid employment or they’re going to start the journey of entrepreneurship themselves. All of the resources will build their capacity to enable them to add value as young Nigerians,” adding that “‎‎And of course, for all of the distinguished members of the management team of NYSC, we welcome you to the Enterprise Development Centre of the Pan-Atlantic University.”

Also speaking, Nneka Okekearu said, “We’re excited about the engagement. The university itself is actually exciting. And the chancellor and the vice chancellor, anytime they are talking about what EDC does. Their joy comes specifically because we are focusing on younger people.”