NYSC SAED; A Leverage For Eradicating Unemployment Among The Nigerian Graduates

Mass unemployment in Nigeria can be traced back to the oil boom era of 1970s. During this period, the Nigerian government and individuals abandoned skills acquisition and utilization through diversified entrepreneurship practices that have the capability to boost both individual and the country’s economic ego.

 Emphasis shifted from entrepreneurial practices to paper qualification of which thousands of graduates now possess, thus an increase in unemployment in the country. 

There is no denying of the fact that unemployment is one of the bane of developed and developing nations. It is because of this that many nations, including Nigeria, have enacted policies and programmes targeted at eradicating poverty, and defeating unemployment but the more our tertiary institutions churn out graduates, the more people that are released for the labour market to absorb and Lo, the labour market is still unable to absorb all. 

This is why the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) in a bid to assist the government in eradicating unemployment among Nigerian graduates initiated the Skills acquisition and entrepreneurship development (SAED) training.

This initiative since its conception in 2012 has created platforms that facilitate access of young graduates to requisite skills and resources necessary for successful entrepreneurship thus enhancing job creation and national development which is a remedy to save many unemployed citizens most of whom are graduates, from relapsing into depression, committing suicide, or worse still delving into crimes rather it makes them to be self-reliant, and an employer of labour in the long run.

Overtime, the SAED program have been able to equip over 500,000 graduates in skills in tailoring, photography, baking or confectionery making, welding, carpentry, ICT, paint production, and so many other areas thus making them independent and those who already have paid jobs, gets double sources of income.

Indeed, NYSC SAED program has been a stepping stone against the cancerous unemployment among graduates. It is important that the government at all levels support NYSC and schemes geared towards equipping youths with skills as it is helpful in national development. 

Name : Chidozie Goodnews Chiamaka

Code no : OS/21A/1356

Course : English and literary studies 

Institution : Godfrey Okoye university, Enugu 

State of origin : Anambra