The sensitisation exercise, held simultaneously across both camps, focused on data depletion, consumer protection, and smart data management, reflecting NCC’s resolve to empower young Nigerians as champions of consumer rights in the digital age.

Quiz, Donations and Engagements

Beyond the educative sessions, corps members were thrilled with interactive quiz competitions, where winners received gift items such as power banks, airtime, and data subscriptions.

In a show of corporate social responsibility and support for corps members, the NCC also donated bags of rice and vegetable oil to each camp. The items were received by the respective NYSC State Coordinators, Hajiya Salamatu Mohammed in Nasarawa and Mrs. Martina Shuaibu-Ibrahim in Niger.

Data Depletion: A Key Consumer Concern

Delivering a keynote message on behalf of the Commission, officials read the address of the Director, Consumer Affairs Bureau, Mrs. Freda Ruth Bruce-Bennett. She highlighted the Commission’s focus on addressing widespread concerns over data depletion, which has become one of the most frequently reported issues by consumers.

According to her, Nigeria’s internet subscriptions have grown from 105 million in August 2018 to 142 million in January 2025, driven by social media usage, digital services, and widespread access to broadband. While this growth reflects Nigeria’s deepening digital economy, it has also heightened consumer anxieties over data consumption and billing transparency.

“The issue of data depletion continues to resonate with consumers, affecting their quality of experience. Many are unaware that smartphone features, background app updates, streaming, and even navigation apps can lead to higher data usage,” Bruce-Bennett said.

She pointed out that NCC has already undertaken studies on the matter while also introducing initiatives on data transparency, enforcement of fair usage policies, and continuous consumer education.

Tips for Smart Data Use

The NCC urged corps members to embrace smarter ways of managing data, including:

• Regularly monitoring data usage.
• Restricting background data for apps.
• Using Wi-Fi and downloading content offline.
• Turning off automatic updates and location services.
• Enabling data-saving modes on devices.

“By applying these practices, subscribers can significantly reduce unnecessary data consumption,” she added, pointing corps members to NCC’s dedicated consumer portal, consumer.ncc.gov.ng, for more resources.

Corps Members as Consumer Champions

The NCC emphasised that corps members, given their education, mobility, and digital fluency, have a vital role to play as consumer champions across communities.

“We urge you to spread awareness of consumer rights, educate your peers about NCC’s initiatives, and serve as partners in strengthening Nigeria’s telecom ecosystem,” Bruce-Bennett told the corps members.

Strengthening Consumer Trust

Closing her remarks, she reaffirmed NCC’s commitment to building a telecom sector that is fair, transparent, and consumer-centric.

“Your voices matter. Your experiences shape policy. Together, let us build a telecom sector that works for all Nigerians, not just in access, but in quality, transparency, and trust,” she said.

The sensitisation campaign in Nasarawa and Niger is part of NCC’s broader strategic consumer outreach, aligning with the Renewed Hope Agenda of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s administration to deepen digital literacy and protect the rights of all telecom subscribers.

The post NCC Sensitises Corps Members on Data Management appeared first on Tech | Business | Economy.

This announcement comes as part of FG’s economic adjustments, particularly the National Minimum Wage (Amendment) Act 2024, aimed at improving the welfare of federal workers.

However, the approval has left many Corps Members wondering if they will receive arrears for the months between July and the official announcement in September, as outlined in the letter from the National Salaries, Incomes and Wages Commission. 

The letter, signed by the Commission’s Chairman, Mr. Ekpo Nta, was issued on 25th September 2024, following discussions between NYSC Director-General Brigadier General YD Ahmed and the Commission on enhancing Corps Members’ welfare.

The NYSC leadership, represented by Brigadier General Ahmed, has appreciated the Federal Government’s decision, stating that the increase will provide much-needed financial relief and boost morale among Corps Members, many of whom have struggled under economic challenges. 

“The NYSC Boss is thankful to the Federal Government for the timely gesture and is optimistic that it will not only bring the much needed succour to the Corps Members, but also boost their morale and motivate them to do even more, in their service to the nation,” wrote Caroline Embu, the Acting Director of Information and Public Relations at NYSC, in a message shared on X (formerly Twitter).

Prior to this adjustment, Corps Members received a monthly allowance of ₦33,000, which was introduced in 2019 after the federal minimum wage was raised from ₦18,000 to ₦30,000. At that time, the ₦33,000 NYSC allowance was a welcomed improvement but quickly became insufficient as inflation and living costs continued to rise.

The recent National Minimum Wage (Amendment) Act 2024 raised the minimum wage to ₦70,000, necessitating the increment for NYSC members to ₦77,000. This seeks to mitigate the impact of inflation and provide better financial support to workers across the country, including young graduates in national service. 

While the increment is a step in the right direction, the issue of arrears remains unresolved. Many Corps Members continued to receive the old ₦33,000 stipend in recent months, despite the policy change being effective from July. 

There is yet to be an official statement on whether arrears will be paid for the months leading up to the September confirmation. The NYSC is expected to clarify the situation.

The post Breaking: FG Approves ₦77,000 NYSC Allowance, Raises Questions About Arrears appeared first on Tech | Business | Economy.

This reflects the Bank’s commitment to driving economic growth by supporting the next generation of Nigerian entrepreneurs.

Launched in 20219 with pilots in 4 states – Lagos, Edo, Ogun, and Abuja and scaled to 10 States in 2020, the Corpreneurship Challenge initiative is promoted in partnership with the NYSC Skills Acquisition and Entrepreneurship Development, SAED.

The initiative features a business pitch presentation where participants, who are mostly fresh graduates participating in the one-year compulsory NYSC service, get the opportunity to present their business plans and stand a chance to win business grants.

The Bank recently increased the prize money to 16 million Naira per stream, allowing participants who emerge winners in the business pitch to win N800,000, N500,000, and N300,000 Business grants for the 1st, 2nd, and 3rd positions respectively as against the previous editions in which the sum of N500,000; N300,000 and N200,000 were handed out to respective winners in the Corpreneurship Challenge.

Reflecting on the impact of the initiative, Mr Olufunwa Akinmade, the divisional head, Digital Banking and Fintech Partnerships, at Unity Bank, who led the pioneer team that designed the initiative and launched the pilot, said:

“The Corpreneurship Challenge has proved to be a viable enterprise development and empowerment initiative due its high-level of success in supporting budding entrepreneurs in the target demographic, as well as the size of the problem it is designed to solve for the Nigerian economy”.

Olufunwa expressed satisfaction with Corpreneurship Challenge’s rising profile as one of the leading sector-agnostic business incubators in Nigeria and said the Bank is committed to sustaining the programme to attain even greater impact required to boost job creation, with young entrepreneurs leading the charge.

Also speaking, Mrs. Adenike Ambimbola, the divisional head of Retail and SME Banking, said,

“We have seen the positive impact of the Corpreneurship Challenge over the past five years because of its innovative approach to youth empowerment and job creation, including a holistic strategy of supporting budding entrepreneurs with mentorship, and skills development, besides the financial backing.”

Since its launch, the Corpreneurship Challenge train has crisscrossed the length and breadth of Nigeria, making a stop in 10 States per stream to turn the dreams of fresh graduates and aspiring entrepreneurs into reality, thus supporting the growth of the SME sector in Nigeria.

The latest edition was held across 10 States, including Taraba, Kogi, FCT, Lagos, Yobe, Ogun, Ebonyi, Enugu, Adamawa, and Imo State, with three winners emerging in each State to make up 30 winners for the edition.

The post Unity Bank Invests Over N100 Million in Corpreneurhip Challenge appeared first on Tech | Business | Economy.

The training, which aligned with the objectives of Skills Acquisition and Entrepreneurship Development (SAED) scheme of NYSC had its maiden edition featuring Batch B stream in the past months.

So far over 118,000 youth corps members have been trained in financial literacy, while about 70,000 are being trained across the 37 NYSC orientation camps in the country.

Speaking during the training, Emmanuella Arukwe, the Managing Director, NNPC Foundation, described financial literacy as not only the bedrock of all successes in the ever-competitive labour market, but a journey towards attaining self-actualization, thereby heralding the trajectory to sustainable prosperity of the nation.

Arukwe, who implored the corps members to leverage on the knowledge garnered from the training to avert white collar job syndrome, added that the NNPC Foundation is committed to impacting the youth corps members to become employers of labour.

“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,” she stated.

According to her;

“This programme cuts across the 36 states of the country including the Federal Capital Territory (FCT). This is the first step towards a series of programmes that will culminate in instilling entrepreneurship in the Corps members. After this training, those who pass the examination by 70 percent will move to the next stage. The next stage will keep them better informed on how to run businesses to ensure success in their businesses. Thereafter, we will do a pitching where those who are properly trained will be selected and be given start-up kits to go ahead and be on their own.”

Addressing unemployment as the greatest problem of young graduates, she said, “We are aware of unemployment as a challenge plaguing young graduates and we recognize the need to empower the youths through capacity building of this magnitude for them to empower the whole nation. This training will help reduce unemployment and underemployment in Nigeria, thereby making the corps members employers of labour.”

In her remarks, the FCT Coordinator, NYSC, Shokpeka Winifred expressed her profound gratitude to both NNPC Foundation and Kudimata Nigeria Ltd for their unwavering support to empower the corps members to enable them to become self-reliant individuals and wealth creators.

Winifred described the training as a platform for young people to learn the best ways of managing their finances, while also grooming them to become good managers of resources.

“Going forward, I’m confident that they will put what they have learnt to use by utilizing their funds well as they are now aware of how to earn, maintain and multiply their finances. We are striving to see them becoming business owners tomorrow through further mentorship,” the Coordinator concluded.

One of the corps members at the NYSC orientation camp in Abuja, Prudence Enema said:

“I’m thrilled that the NNPC Foundation took their time to train us on financial literacy, we are aware that financial literacy is very important, and we have learnt a lot on how to multiply our money in order not to suffer in the future.”

Another corps member, Okeke Ugochukwu revealed that the training was worthwhile as the importance of saving and categorization of finances were taught effectively.

The post NNPC Foundation Trains 118,000 Corps Members on Financial Literacy appeared first on Tech | Business | Economy.

Growing up, children usually have big expectations and dreams for the future. While some dreams come true, most are usually readjusted to fit the parameters that reality offers them.

Settling for watered-down “realistic” versions of what life has to offer due to physical, geographical, financial, and even mental constraints.

Much like NYSC members, who upon registration are filled with the budding hope of a life in service to their country after school. Which originally is an experience that is looked forward to by countless youths as an opportunity for adventure and learning combined with the thrill of being in a new environment for those posted to regions of Nigeria they had never been to.

An experience that has now become one that is dreaded by many due to the country’s recent economic downturn.

Although the Nigeria’s economic growth was predicted by the International Monetary Fund (IMF) to be 3.2% by July 2022, predictions that have now deteriorated to a 3.0 due to the high level of inflation in the country, making it difficult for Nigerian youth corps members to cater for their daily needs, let alone explore options that would lead to financial growth.

Despite the efforts of the federal government to alleviate financial strain on the youth corpers with the initiation of the monthly allowance, which initially was  N19,800 Naira per month, which was later increased to 33,000 Naira per month in consideration of the economy, corps members who move to cities far from home can barely keep up with the monthly expenses that come with upkeep or even savings for the future or in case of emergencies

As a result, Rapaid — a subsidiary of TomX Holdings — has been easing the financial burden with the introduction of Khaki Loan, a platform for corp members to access easy and quick loans, as well as its savings and bill payment platforms, all designed to foster a healthy financial environment where corps members can have a financial sense of security, since its launch in August 2022.

In November, upon The Rapaid’s Team’s visit to the Iseyin NYSC camp, they introduced the Khaki Loan to a number of corps members, and these were some of the comments they got from the corps members on site:

“The Khaki Loan initiative was really well thought out, and surprisingly fast too, i was able to get a loan in less than 24 hours and i no longer had to wait for allowee to come before i could pay off my pending bills and paying back would be so easy because they have agreed that i can pay back in bits from my NYSC allowance as the months go by,” said a Corps member from Enugu serving in Ibadan.

Speaking on the trip to the Iseyin NYSC camp, Ayomikun Akintayo, the Chief Growth Officer of TomX Holdings, said, “While we look forward to a better Nigeria, the key to a true national economic revolution lies in Nigerians empowering each other to seize opportunities to better themselves, and this is how Rapaid empowers corps members by giving them access to substantial financial opportunities.”

The post This Startup Provides Simple, Stress-Free Loans to Corps Members across Nigeria appeared first on Tech | Business | Economy.