Photo: MD, NNPC Foundation, Mrs. Emmanuella Arukwe, addressing Youth Corps members on the advantages of the NNPC-NYSC empowerment programme at the Orientation Camp in Abuja.
By Chimezie Godfrey
Unemployment remains one of Nigeria’s most pressing socio-economic challenges. While the country recorded a slight improvement in its unemployment rate, moving from 5.3% in the first quarter of 2024 to 4.3% in the second, the battle against joblessness is far from over. Over the years, multiple government agencies and non-governmental organizations have introduced various interventions to curb unemployment. However, many of these efforts fell short, often leaving the intended beneficiaries unequipped to sustain businesses or create jobs.
Enter the NNPC Foundation, a subsidiary of the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPC Ltd.), which has reshaped its social responsibility programmes to focus on addressing unemployment at its root—graduate financial literacy and entrepreneurial skills. In collaboration with the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC), the Foundation is empowering young graduates with tools not just to survive, but to thrive economically.
The NNPC Foundation’s NYSC Empowerment Programme stands out because of its unique approach. Recognizing that financial illiteracy has hindered the success of many past empowerment initiatives, the Foundation designed a programme that integrates financial management skills with entrepreneurial training. The goal: to empower young graduates with practical tools to manage their finances, make informed investment decisions, and grow viable businesses.
Speaking on the objectives of the initiative, the Managing Director of NNPC Foundation, Mrs. Emmanuella Arukwe, explained: “By educating corps members on financial management and entrepreneurship, the program aims to empower them to become economically self-sufficient and to contribute positively to society.”
The empowerment programme is delivered across all 37 NYSC Orientation Camps nationwide, offering corps members an opportunity to sign up and participate. In 2024 alone, a staggering 560,065 corps members benefitted from the training—a clear indication of the initiative’s growing reach and acceptance.
The Foundation’s vision extends beyond financial literacy. For corps members with an entrepreneurial inclination, the programme features a Business Pitching Exercise. Here, participants receive further training to refine their business ideas and transform them into actionable business plans.
At the core of this exercise is a rigorous process where corps members pitch their business proposals before a panel of assessors. Winning projects are selected based on factors such as innovation, market relevance, competitive advantage, scalability, and community impact. Successful pitches not only receive startup packs but also benefit from business advisory services and opportunities for growth.
In 2024, 2,659 corps members participated in the pitching exercise, demonstrating a commitment to entrepreneurial excellence. To further ease their journey into the business world, the NNPC Foundation facilitated a 50% reduction in registration fees for corps members to register their businesses with the Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC). This small but significant intervention provides aspiring entrepreneurs with a much-needed springboard to formalize their ventures.
The innovative efforts of the NNPC Foundation in driving youth empowerment have not gone unnoticed. For its outstanding contributions, the Foundation received the Award for Humanitarian Excellence in Service from the Institute for Humanitarian Studies and Social Development (IHSD) and the United Nations Institute for Training and Research (UNITAR).
These accolades underscore the impact of NNPC Foundation’s programmes in bridging gaps, empowering Nigeria’s youth, and driving economic self-sufficiency.
At its core, the NYSC Empowerment Programme by the NNPC Foundation represents a model of sustainable empowerment. By combining financial literacy, entrepreneurial training, and startup support, the programme addresses key barriers to success for young graduates. More importantly, it equips them not just to seek employment but to create opportunities for others.
As the programme continues to expand, the NNPC Foundation’s efforts offer a glimpse of what is possible when partnerships, innovation, and focused intervention come together. In tackling unemployment and promoting economic empowerment, the Foundation is helping redefine the future for Nigeria’s youth—one business at a time.
With over half a million young Nigerians reached in 2024 alone, the NNPC Foundation and NYSC partnership is proving that meaningful empowerment can indeed spark economic transformation.
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