The Director General of the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC), Brigadier General Olakunle Nafiu, has urged corps members in Kwara State to take advantage of available innovation and industrial facilities to develop marketable skills and pursue self-employment.
Nafiu made the call during a working visit to the Ilorin Innovation Hub and Kwara Garment Factory, both established by the Kwara State Government.
He said the facilities offered corps members opportunities to gain practical knowledge, develop entrepreneurial skills and create employment for themselves and others.
At the Ilorin Innovation Hub, the Managing Director, Temi Kolawole, explained that the facility was designed to promote innovation, youth empowerment and entrepreneurship while contributing to efforts to tackle unemployment in the state.
Kolawole said the hub, with support from organisations including the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), United States Embassy, IHS and Alliance Française, provides conference facilities, learning points, workspaces, technology facilities, creativity areas, gaming and relaxation spaces.
A notable example of the opportunities available at the hub was the story of Sinachi Goodness Onuchukwu, a graduate of Industrial Relations and Personnel Management.
Onuchukwu was deployed to Kwara State during the 2024/2025 service year and served at the Innovation Hub. After completing her service, she was retained by the organisation and later appointed its pioneer Human Resources Manager.
At the Kwara Garment Factory, Nafiu inspected various sections of the facility, including cutting, sewing, printing, beading, laundry and finished-product operations.
The factory’s Chief Executive Officer, Folake Akindele, conducted the NYSC DG around the facility.
The tour allowed Nafiu to assess the facilities and emphasise their potential to provide young Nigerians, particularly corps members, with practical skills that can support entrepreneurship, job creation and economic self-reliance.
