Creative Industry

NYSC Laments Inadequate Funding Of SAED

Published

6 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

CAFA Targets $500bn Fashion Economy At Canex Wknd 2026

Published

1 week ago

November 1, 2026

The Gleamer

Joel Ajayi

The Confederation of African Fashion (CAFA) will present its roadmap to grow Africa’s fashion economy from an estimated $30 billion to $500 billion at CANEX WKND 2026 in Lagos.

Marking its first anniversary on November 5, CAFA will unveil a joint stand with the Federal Ministry of Art, Culture, Tourism and the Creative Economy at the Wole Soyinka Centre for Culture and the Creative Arts, formerly the National Arts Theatre, on November 5, 2026.

CAFA President, Aare (Prof.) Lai Labode, said the institution works with African governments to align sourcing, production, trade and intellectual property policies, ensuring African creativity generates greater value for African businesses and communities.

Nigeria became the first country to sign the African Fashion Industry Growth Charter on November 5, 2025, when the Honourable Minister Barr. Hannatu Musa Musawa signed on behalf of the Federal Government.

Speaking ahead of the unveiling, Minister Musawa said: “Afroliganza seeks to build a structured, values-driven fashion economy rooted in African heritage, led by African institutions, and positioned for global impact.”

On employment potential, the minister emphasized that Investment in fashion will create millions of jobs, particularly for women and youth.

Registered in Rwanda, with an office in Kigali and a desk at the Federal Ministry of Arts, Culture, Tourism and the Creative Economy, CAFA is also working with Nigeria’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs towards African Union adoption of the Charter. Rwanda is progressing towards becoming its second participating country and the first in East Africa.

Its first year saw fifty nations gather at the Egbaliganza-Lisabi Festival in Abeokuta and a signed MoU with Türkiye’s ASRIAD.

CAFA’s programmes promote processing African raw materials into finished apparel locally. ‘Own What We Create’ addresses intellectual property protection, while the CAFA Certified Seal and CAFA Heritage Mark support standards and authenticity. African Global Fashion Houses are currently being established across international markets.

The African Global Fashion Games will debut in Nigeria in 2028, bringing designers together under national colours. Held every three years, the Games will alternate between African and international hosts, combining competition with investor meetings, deal signings and policy discussions. Its Instant Craft event gives competing nations identical materials and a fixed clock, placing skill at the centre of the contest.

CAFA is inviting creatives, fashion designers, artisans, diplomats, economists, investors and policymakers to its CANEX stand. Visitors can explore the roadmap, ask questions and identify opportunities to contribute through design, manufacturing, investment, research, trade and international partnerships. The stand will be open daily from November 5 to 8.

CAFA calls on the African Union to adopt the Charter, and governments to sign the Games Register and form national teams.

“Fashion has always told the world who Africa is. Now Africa will decide what fashion pays,” Aare Prof. Lai Labode said.

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