Creative Industry

NYSC Laments Inadequate Funding Of SAED

Published

4 years ago

March 2, 2021

Joel Ajayi

The National Youth Service Corps has identified inadequate funding as the major challenge affecting its Skills Acquisition and Entrepreneurship Development programme.

In a statement issued by the Schemes’s Director, Press and Public Relations Adenike Adeyemi (Mrs) on Monday in Abuja said despite this, the NYSC has recorded tremendous success in the implementation of the program.

The Director-General, Brigadier General Shuaibu Ibrahim in his address at the 2021 NYSC SAED Stakeholders’ Meeting and Training of Desk Officers, held at the National Directorate Headquarters in Abuja.

He said the Scheme will not rest on its oars in its quest to sustain and build on the achievements made within the last one year towards making Corps Members employers of labour.

“The major challenges of the SAED program are inadequate to finance for Corps Empowerment, which includes skill and entrepreneurial training facilities, business start-up capital, access to mentorship as well as insufficient bilateral and multilateral collaborations”.

“Despite the unusual situation occasioned by the COVID-19 pandemic and the attendant dislocation of many businesses in 2020, it is gratifying that so much has been achieved”, he said.

Ibrahim urged participants at the training to make deliberations that would lead to the expansion of the existing collaborations as well as developing new ones.

The Director-General who said Corps Members are equal and laden with same potentials irrespective of state of deployment urged the SAED stakeholders to spread the opportunities of empowerment across the country in order to enhance national development.

The Director, Skills Acquisition and Entrepreneurship Development programme, Mr Hilary Nasamu said as a result of the fallout of the 2020 edition of the programme, participant stakeholders expressed commitment to provide resources to tackle the challenges and chart a brighter way for the economic empowerment of Corps Members.

He said despite the effects of COVID-19 pandemic, the Scheme made a positive difference and improved the scorecard of the NYSC SAED initiative.

He listed the successes recorded to include; NYSC-BOI partnership, NYSC-Unity Bank Partnership, NYSC-BATNF Partnership, NYSC-EDC Partnership, NYSC-Access Bank Partnership, NYSC-LFN Partnership, NYSC-NIRSAL MFB Collaboration among others.

He added that in order to step up the quality of training for Corps Members, the Scheme has started the process of re-energizing the involvement of the National Directorate of Employment (NDE) including Small and Medium Enterprises Development Agency of Nigeria (SMEDAN) among others.

Mr Nasamu said access bank is now partnering with NYSC-SAED for direct financial empowerment for Corps Members through a competitive programme known as the lions’ den.

“Winners in this programme received a package of business mentoring and funding totalling N3,000,000:00 for Corps Members per camp and N9,000,000:00 for 30 winners in 3 states”, he said.

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Creative Industry

NTDA, ITPN Sign Pact to Enhance Professionalism in Tourism Sector

Published

1 day ago

June 6, 2025

The Gleamer

Joel Ajayi

In a strategic move to strengthen professionalism and build capacity within Nigeria’s tourism industry, the Nigerian Tourism Development Authority (NTDA) has forged a partnership with the Institute for Tourism Professionals of Nigeria (ITPN).

During a courtesy visit to the Authority, the ITPN delegation led by Mrs. Fatimah Obadaki, Chairperson, FCT Chapter emphasized the need for structured collaboration aimed at equipping tourism personnel with industry-relevant skills and enhancing service standards across the sector.

She highlighted that the visit was rooted in the institute’s mission to foster partnerships that promote high standards of service delivery and human capital development in the Nigerian tourism and hospitality sectors.

In his remarks, Dr. Olaleye Taiwo Famogbiyole, FITPN, Registrar of the ITPN, FCT Chapter, emphasized the pressing need to bridge the skill gap between academic knowledge and industry requirements. “The knowledge our graduates bring into the industry is no longer sufficient. We must adopt industry-recognized training programs to align university education with practical industry expectations. As an awarding body within the hospitality, travel, and allied trades ecosystem, we see a vital need to professionalize the sector,” Dr. Famogbiyole stated.

He further called for collaboration with NTDA in training staff in tour operations, tour guiding services and destination management. He proposed that NTDA staff be enrolled as members of the institute and benefit from its tailored training programs.

Dr. Famogbiyole also commended NTDA for its unwavering support of the National Tourism and Transportation Summit (NTTS), one of ITPN’s flagship initiatives. “NTDA has been a consistent and invaluable partner in the success of the NTTS over the years,” he noted.

In response, Mr. Ovie Esewhaye, Director overseeing the Office of the Director General of NTDA, welcomed the ITPN team and praised their resilience and commitment to professionalizing the sector despite prevailing economic challenges.

“At NTDA, we are repositioned for effective performance through strategic collaborations. We are open to partnerships that enhance the capabilities of our workforce. I pledge that all NTDA directors will be enrolled as members of the Institute and we will ensure our staff benefit from the various training programs offered by ITPN,” Mr. Esewhaye assured.

He further revealed that NTDA is undergoing a digital transformation and working towards ISO certifications to improve operational efficiency. “We want to be a benchmark for tourism standards in Africa,” he said.

Mr. Esewhaye reaffirmed NTDA’s commitment to the National Tourism and Transportation Summit and expressed willingness to participate in its upcoming edition. He also accepted ITPN’s invitation to participate in the Abuja Tourism Roundtable scheduled for July 2025, emphasizing, “As long as it has to do with promoting tourism, we will be there.”

The visit marked a significant step in strengthening institutional ties aimed at enhancing professionalism and capacity within Nigeria’s tourism sector.

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