NNPC foundation empowers over 200,000 youth corps members in financial literacy drive
In a strategic move aimed at enhancing the entrepreneurial capabilities of the nation’s youth, the NNPC Foundation, in collaboration with Kudimata Nigeria Limited, a financial education entity, has successfully trained Batch C members of the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) in essential financial literacy skills.
According to a statement by Femi Soneye, the Cheif Corporate Communication Officer NNPC Ltd, states that the training, aligned with the NYSC’s Skills Acquisition and Entrepreneurship Development (SAED) scheme, marked its maiden edition with Batch B stream in recent months. To date, more than 118,000 youth corps members have undergone financial literacy training, with an additional 70,000 currently being trained across the 37 NYSC orientation camps nationwide.
During the training, Emmanuella Arukwe, the Managing Director of NNPC Foundation, emphasized the pivotal role of financial literacy in navigating the competitive labor market. Arukwe urged corps members to leverage this knowledge to avoid the pitfalls of the traditional job-seeking approach, emphasizing the foundation’s commitment to nurturing young entrepreneurs.
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Arukwe stated, “We are partnering with both NYSC and Kudimata to bring financial literacy to the corps members, as this will help them make better-informed decisions. We are very passionate about young people and NYSC is a veritable ground as it cuts across 20 to 30 years old youth, thus, making it the right demography.”
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The program spans all 36 states of the country, including the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), and serves as the initial step in a series of initiatives aiming to instill entrepreneurship in the corps members. Arukwe outlined the subsequent stages, including further training, examinations, and a pitching process leading to the selection of candidates who will receive start-up kits.
Addressing the pervasive issue of youth unemployment, Arukwe highlighted the foundation’s commitment to reducing unemployment and underemployment in Nigeria, ultimately transforming corps members into employers of labor.
In response, Shokpeka Winifred, the FCT Coordinator, NYSC, expressed gratitude to NNPC Foundation and Kudimata Nigeria Ltd for their unwavering support in empowering corps members. She lauded the training as a platform for young individuals to learn effective financial management, fostering their development as resourceful managers.
“As they put what they have learned into practice, we are optimistic that they will become business owners through further mentorship,” Winifred added.
Corps members, such as Prudence Enema and Okeke Ugochukwu, attested to the value of the training, expressing excitement about gaining insights into financial literacy and effective money management.