By Maryanne Awuya
The Youth Entrepreneurship and Empowerment Programme (YEEP’26) has reaffirmed its commitment to equipping young Nigerians with entrepreneurial skills, innovation capacity, and leadership development aimed at driving national economic growth.
Speaking Thursday at the YEEP 2026 eventheld under the theme “Entrepreneurship, Innovation, Courage, and Impact”organizers called for an urgent realignment of national priorities to focus on youth empowerment and economic transformation.
Persecondnews correspondent at the event reports that Love Idoko-Uloko, Founder and Chief Executive Officer of the Activate Success International Foundation, explained that the initiative was launched over 11 years ago to bridge the gap between youth potential and market opportunities.
According to the founder, the initiative is deeply personal, rooted in a mission to ensure that a person’s background never dictates their capacity for success in Nigeria.
Over the years, she recalled, the foundation has evolved into a national platform for youth empowerment through entrepreneurship training, leadership development, and targeted interventions across National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) orientation camps and other national platforms.
“The programme has reached millions of young Nigerians and supported entrepreneurs across agriculture, fashion, food business, and the creative sector,” Idoko-Uloko said.
She disclosed that since its inception, over 90 percent of supported businesses remain operational, while about 85 percent are registered with the Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC) and 70 percent have recorded growth and expansion’’.
Idoko-Uloko also revealed that in the 2025 edition of the programme, over N50 million was deployed to support young entrepreneurs, with 57 business owners receiving financial grants.
In addition, 30 fashion entrepreneurs and 10 others were equipped with industrial sewing machines to boost their production capacity, she added.
She described these interventions as catalytic rather than symbolic, aimed at strengthening business survival, productivity, and growth.
Persecondnews also reports that the event featured remarks from the Director-General of the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC), Brig.-Gen. Olakunle Oluseye Nafiu, who described the scheme as a key platform for youth development and national integration.
He expressed delight at the long-standing partnership with the Activate Success International Foundation, noting that the collaboration has helped strengthen entrepreneurship training and skill development among corps members across the country.
“The programme aligns with the evolving role of the corps as not just a platform for national service, but also a catalyst for economic empowerment and enterprise development,” the NYSC DG said.
He stressed that youth empowerment must go beyond academic qualifications to include practical skills, innovation, and entrepreneurship, describing Nigerian youth as a critical driver of national transformation.
The Chief Judge of the FCT High Court, Justice Husseini Baba-Yusuf, commended the initiative and praised the passion behind the programme. He urged participants to remain committed to their goals and encouraged the organizers to sustain their efforts.
The programme also recognized key partners, including Flutterwave, the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC), the Office of the Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, Federal Ministry of Women Affairs, Nestlé Nigeria, the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), Crown Luxury Properties, Vodi Tailors, and many other industry leaders.
Organizers said the contributions of these partners reflect the importance of collaboration in achieving sustainable youth development and national economic progress.
The event also featured the recognition of long-standing supporters, including the Deputy Speaker, Hon. Benjamin Kalu, who was acknowledged as a major donor in the 2025 edition, and the NYSC, which has partnered with the initiative for nine years.
YEEP’26 as a continuation of a long-term national commitment to youth empowerment, noting that the programme is focused on preparing young Nigerians to lead in a fast-changing global economy.