The National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) says it is seeking to strengthen its partnership with the European Union (EU) to enhance digital support for its Skills Acquisition and Entrepreneurship Development (SAED) programme.
The Director-General of the NYSC, Brigadier General Olakunle Oluseye Nafiu, made this known during a courtesy visit to the European Union Ambassador to Nigeria and ECOWAS, Gautier Mignot, at the EU Mission in Abuja on Saturday.
Nafiu said the Scheme was committed to improving staff capacity through strategic partnerships that would support training and professional development programmes, including seminars, workshops and other capacity-building initiatives.
He commended the European Union for its continued support for Nigerian youths through initiatives aimed at promoting skills development and economic empowerment.
According to the NYSC Director-General, the SAED programme was introduced to address rising graduate unemployment by equipping corps members with practical and entrepreneurial skills to enable them to become self-employed and create jobs for others.
A statement by the NYSC Director of Information and Public Relations, Caroline Embu, said the programme had empowered thousands of corps members with marketable skills since its inception, with many establishing successful businesses and becoming employers of labour. It added that the initiative had also attracted grants and support from several development partners.
In his remarks, the European Union Ambassador to Nigeria and ECOWAS said the EU works with implementing partners to design and deliver development projects across a range of sectors.
Mignot commended the NYSC for institutionalising the SAED programme, describing it as a strategic initiative with significant potential to contribute to national development.
He said the European Union’s priority areas include digital technology, women and youth empowerment, children’s development, agriculture, renewable energy, healthcare and other sectors that promote inclusive economic growth.
The ambassador also disclosed that some European financial institutions had begun operations in Nigeria to improve access to finance for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs).
He identified limited access to finance as one of the major challenges facing small business owners in the country and said the EU also supports young people through academic and educational programmes designed to improve their employability and ease their transition into the labour market.
