Olam Nigeria Limited has called for a partnership with the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) to expand aquaculture development and create new opportunities for young Nigerians.
The company’s General Manager, Mrs Morenike Alayerogun, made the proposal during a courtesy visit to the NYSC National Directorate Headquarters in Maitama, Abuja.
Alayerogun said about 200 Corps Members were currently serving with Olam in various fields, noting that the company remained committed to supporting the Federal Government’s efforts in nation-building, youth development and mentorship.
She revealed that Olam had completed what she described as the country’s biggest aquaculture research and development institute in Ilorin, Kwara State.
The company is also constructing a new factory in Asaba, Delta State, while partnering with universities across the country to strengthen aquaculture research and training.
Under the proposed programme, university specialists would be brought to Ilorin for a one-year training course before being deployed to farmers across Nigeria.
The initiative, she said, would equip farmers with the theoretical and practical knowledge needed to improve productivity and sustain their businesses.
“We will accommodate and feed them, and after one year, we will attach them to our farmers all over the nation,” Alayerogun said.
She appealed to the NYSC to deploy more Corps Members to Olam’s farm operations, particularly in Kwara State. She also proposed that NYSC and Olam train Corps Members who could later receive support from the Bank of Industry to establish their own agribusinesses.
Responding, the NYSC Director-General, Brigadier General Olakunle Nafiu, described unemployment as a major global challenge facing young people.
He said agribusiness remained a key driver of Nigeria’s economy, making Olam’s agricultural activities especially relevant.
Nafiu commended the company for contributing to the Nigerian economy and empowering Corps Members and urged employers to ensure that Corps Members were meaningfully engaged rather than underutilised. “We want to thank you for the value addition to our Corps Members,” he said.
The NYSC Director-General added that a Memorandum of Understanding would be needed to define the responsibilities of both organisations, stressing that the security and welfare of Corps Members remained a top priority.