NYSC Introduces AI and App Development Training to Boost Youth Job Opportunities in Nigeria

The National Youth Service Corps has announced a major overhaul of its Skill Acquisition and Entrepreneurship Development programme, introducing artificial intelligence, mobile application development and other high-demand digital skills into its standardised curriculum.

The Director General of the NYSC, Brigadier General Olakunle Nafiu, disclosed this during his address at the 2025 second SAED stakeholders’ summit held in Abuja. He said the reforms are part of a broader digital transformation aimed at improving employability and reducing youth unemployment in Nigeria.

According to the NYSC leadership, the revamped SAED curriculum is designed to deliver deeper impact by focusing on competence, mastery of practical skills and digital fluency. Nafiu explained that emerging technologies such as artificial intelligence and app development have been fully integrated to position corps members for global opportunities in the digital economy.

He revealed that corps members are also being integrated into the Federal Government’s 3 Million Technical Talent programme, alongside access to international remote work opportunities through platforms and initiatives including Outsource to Nigeria, NYSC Jobs.ng and the SAED SME Toolkit.

Describing SAED as a core pillar of youth empowerment, Nafiu stated that over 3.18 million corps members have undergone entrepreneurship and workplace readiness training since 2012. He added that more than 30,000 businesses linked to the programme have been formally registered with the Corporate Affairs Commission, contributing to job creation and national economic growth.

He emphasised that many of these enterprises are actively employing Nigerians and adding value to the Gross Domestic Product, demonstrating the capacity of young people to drive innovation and economic transformation when equipped with the right skills.

The NYSC boss also highlighted the recently launched ₦2 billion MSME loan fund for corps entrepreneurs, established in partnership with the Bank of Industry, describing it as a landmark initiative to improve access to startup and expansion capital for youth-led businesses.

Reflecting on Nigeria’s labour market challenges, Nafiu noted that while unemployment stood at about 1.9 per cent in 1973, current figures are significantly higher, largely due to gaps in employability and technical skills among young people. He stressed that sustained collaboration with private sector partners and stakeholders remains essential to tackling youth unemployment.

He called on stakeholders to remain committed to empowering corps members with creativity, confidence and future-ready skills, noting that youth empowerment is a national responsibility and a long-term investment in Nigeria’s prosperity.

Earlier at the summit, the Director of SAED, Kehinde Aremu-Cole, thanked stakeholders for their contributions to the programme’s transformation across key sectors such as technology, digital skills, creative industries, entrepreneurship, financial empowerment and agriculture.

He said previous trainings, grants and mentorship initiatives under SAED have played a vital role in shaping the future of corps members and strengthening youth-led enterprises across the country. Aremu-Cole urged partners to develop targeted funding pathways that can help convert skills and ideas into sustainable and profitable businesses.

He added that the SAED programme is not just about training, but about building a generation of skilled, innovative and economically empowered young Nigerians capable of competing locally and globally.