CHIEF AFOLAYAN SHOWS CORPS MEMBERS THE PATH TO FINANCIAL PROSPERITY

The retired Director Special Duties, Office of the Director General, Chief Adeola James Afolayan, has enlightened Prospective Corps Members on the need to become entrepreneurs describing it as the pathway to financial prosperity. 

Chief Afolayan made this known at NYSC Permanent Orientation Camp, Ede, while delivering a motivational speech at the flag off ceremony of the 2022 Batch A Stream II Skills Acquisition and Entrepreneurship Development in-camp Training on Tuesday. 

 Afolayan charged the PCMs to embrace the Skill Acquisition and Enterpreneurship Development Programme (SAED). He informed them that wealth can be created by identifying problems in the society and seeking for innovative ways to solve the problems. He charged corps members to take risks and not be afraid of failure as Entrepreneurs. 

He also empasised on the role integrity plays in entrepreneurship. He urged corps members not to despise the days of little beginnings but rather work tenaciously to climb up the ladder of success. He said that their integrity should be their strength. 

Afolayan further emphasised on important ways to become better entrepreneurs, such as training, reading books on enterpreneurship and networking with other entrepreneurs. He enjoined them to tow the path of hardwork and industry and avoid cutting corners. 

Afolayan in concluding urged the PCMs to give the SAED programme every seriousness it demands and aim to surpass what their predecessors have achieved. He admonished them to embrace SAED Training wholeheartedly. 

Mrs Olutayo Samuel, a retired Deputy Director of the Scheme also admonished the Prospective Corps Members to work towards enhancing their relevance and value in their generation. She reiterated that such enhancement can only be made possible through the skills acquisition. 

Samuel, using ample examples of serving and ex-Corps Members who leveraged on the opportunities provided by the NYSC Scheme through SAED to become wealth creators and employers of labour, called on the PCMs to utilise the opportunities and platforms at their disposal to also create a niche for themselves in the business world. 

Flagging off the in-camp training and Entrepreneurship Development Program Training, the State Coordinator, Mrs Winifred Shokpeka took the members through a brief history of the programme and also highlighted the benefits of the same.  

She stated that since the commencement of the programme in 2012, the Scheme has been able to successfully train millions of corps members in different skills and it has also been able to empower thousands to set up businesses of their own. 

She informed the members that the Scheme has collaborated with several agencies and organisations to help make funds available for corps members to start up a business of their choice. She charged the PCMs to work towards ensuring that they have multiple streams of income rather than being limited by a salaried life. 

Earlier, the Head of SAED, Mr Aleshinloye Adeniyi had highlighted some of the success stories recorded under SAED. He said that SAED "is an idea aimed at building the concept of entrepreneurship, skills and business mentality in Nigerian youths." 

He said there are 12 skillset under the SAED program which he pointed out as: Agro-allied, Automobile, Beautification, Construction, Cosmetology, Culture and Tourism, Education, Environment, Film and photography, Food Processing/Preservation, 

ICT and Power & Energy.

Aleshinloye emphasized on the scarcity of white collared jobs in Nigeria and the urgent need to learn a skill and start a business.

He said " Education can only bring you out of ignorance", while explaining the reason why they should not solely depend on their degree certificates. 

He closed his speech by mentioning a few organizations that have collaborated with NYSC such as NAFDAC, Cooperate Affairs Commission (CAC), Standard Organisation of Nigeria, Central Bank of Nigeria, Bank of Industry, Bank of Agric, etc. He said these organizations are all here to help train the them in various processes in becoming accomplished entrepreneurs with registered businesses.