11/08/2026
*EMBRACE ENTREPRENEURSHIP AS A PATHWAY TO FINANCIAL INDEPENDENCE, SELF-RELIANCE — SAM PEPPLE*
The NYSC Bayelsa State Coordinator, Mr. Samuel Amaramiro Pepple, has urged corps members of the 2026 Batch ‘B’ Stream II to change their mindset towards skills acquisition and embrace entrepreneurship as a pathway to financial independence and self-reliance.
Pepple made the call on Tuesday, 11th August 2026, while declaring open the Skills Acquisition and Entrepreneurship Development (SAED) in-camp training at the NYSC Permanent Orientation Camp, Boro Town, Bayelsa State.
Addressing the corps members, the State Coordinator encouraged them to complement their formal education with practical and entrepreneurial skills, stressing that academic qualifications alone may not guarantee financial independence in today’s competitive economy.
“Change your way of thinking and start thinking money,” Pepple charged the corps members, urging them to embrace hands-on learning, utilise their talents and be willing to start small while acquiring the business knowledge required to turn their skills into sustainable ventures.
He advised the corps members to take full advantage of the opportunities provided by the SAED programme by enrolling in their preferred skill areas, participating actively in the training and engaging meaningfully with their trainers.
Pepple noted that practical skills could create opportunities for self-employment, wealth creation and sustainable sources of income beyond the service year.
Earlier, the Assistant Director in charge of SAED, Sir Raymond Kennedy Anumaka, encouraged corps members to participate actively throughout the training.
Anumaka explained that the SAED programme was designed to equip corps members with practical skills and entrepreneurial knowledge necessary to become self-reliant and productive members of society. He highlighted various areas of skills development, including automobile services, delivery and logistics, ICT, cleaning and hygiene services, as well as professional certification training, among others.
Also speaking, the Chief Executive Officer of Skill Set Group, Mr. Francis David, emphasised the importance of skills acquisition and value creation, noting that education becomes more impactful when complemented with the ability to solve problems and create value.
“Education without value makes you a liability. For you to be valuable, you need to be skillful,” he said.
David explained that individuals are increasingly rewarded for the value they create and the problems they solve rather than merely the courses they studied. He therefore encouraged the corps members to develop business, management, communication, leadership, professional and entrepreneurial skills, alongside relevant information and digital competencies required in an increasingly technology-driven world.
Corps members were further encouraged to enrol in the SME Toolkit, participate fully in the SAED programme and pursue relevant professional certifications to enhance their employability, workplace readiness and entrepreneurial prospects.
The programme featured the introduction of various skill areas, including ICT, phone and laptop repairs, barbing, fashion designing, culinary services, interior decoration, makeup artistry, arts and crafts, film and photography, stock trading and cosmetology, among others.
The SAED programme remains one of the NYSC's key initiatives aimed at equipping corps members with practical and entrepreneurial skills for self-employment, wealth creation and sustainable livelihoods beyond the service year.
National Youth Service Corps Sam Amaramiro Pepple Yvonne Urie
