Building entrepreneurship skills to increase youth employability in Nigeria
ILO and NYSC are partnering to increase employment opportunities for young Nigerians through entrepreneurship development and skills acquisition.
22 February 2016
ABUJA (ILO News): The International Labour Organisation (ILO) and the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) of Nigeria are joining forces to develop entrepreneurial skills of young men and women of Nigeria to boost their employment opportunities in an ever-increasing tough labour market.
The Director of the ILO Abuja Country Office, Mr Dennis Zulu met with a delegation from the NYSC led by the Director of Skills Acquisition and Entrepreneurship Department (SAED), Mrs Mary Dan-Abia to discuss the institutionalization of the use of the ILO Start and Improve Your Business (SIYB) curriculum in their training programs.
NYSC requested ILO’s support in conducting the Training of Trainers (ToT) workshop and to facilitate the certification of NYSC officials as Master Trainers. The Master Trainers would be used to train the 300,000 NYSC members on SIYB. This training would help equip the graduates with appropriate entrepreneurship skills needed to start their own businesses.
“ILO is ready to support the Federal Government of Nigeria and its partners on employment creation initiatives”, ILO Director Dennis Zulu underscored.
Plans are already underway to implement the ToT workshop. “Training three hundred thousand (300,000) youths annually through the NYSC Scheme will contribute immensely towards creating employment opportunities and sustainable enterprise development in Nigeria”, Director Zulu emphasized.
He reiterated that the ILO will continue to work with NYSC and its partners to build capacities and support the implementation of initiatives geared towards increasing access to employment opportunities to Nigerians, especially the youths.
Established in 1973, the NYSC is a Federal Government Agency that manages a 1 year compulsory orientation and community service scheme for graduates. It has presence in all the 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT). Annually, an estimated 300,000 graduate pass through the scheme whose primary mandate is to inculcate in Nigerian Youths the spirit of selfless service to the community, and to emphasize the spirit of oneness and brotherhood of all Nigerians, irrespective of cultural or social background.
The Director of the ILO Abuja Country Office, Mr Dennis Zulu met with a delegation from the NYSC led by the Director of Skills Acquisition and Entrepreneurship Department (SAED), Mrs Mary Dan-Abia to discuss the institutionalization of the use of the ILO Start and Improve Your Business (SIYB) curriculum in their training programs.
NYSC requested ILO’s support in conducting the Training of Trainers (ToT) workshop and to facilitate the certification of NYSC officials as Master Trainers. The Master Trainers would be used to train the 300,000 NYSC members on SIYB. This training would help equip the graduates with appropriate entrepreneurship skills needed to start their own businesses.
“ILO is ready to support the Federal Government of Nigeria and its partners on employment creation initiatives”, ILO Director Dennis Zulu underscored.
Plans are already underway to implement the ToT workshop. “Training three hundred thousand (300,000) youths annually through the NYSC Scheme will contribute immensely towards creating employment opportunities and sustainable enterprise development in Nigeria”, Director Zulu emphasized.
He reiterated that the ILO will continue to work with NYSC and its partners to build capacities and support the implementation of initiatives geared towards increasing access to employment opportunities to Nigerians, especially the youths.
Background information
Established in 1973, the NYSC is a Federal Government Agency that manages a 1 year compulsory orientation and community service scheme for graduates. It has presence in all the 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT). Annually, an estimated 300,000 graduate pass through the scheme whose primary mandate is to inculcate in Nigerian Youths the spirit of selfless service to the community, and to emphasize the spirit of oneness and brotherhood of all Nigerians, irrespective of cultural or social background.