NYSC RIVERS STATE APPROVES SKILLWORKS TO TRAIN CORPS MEMBERS IN CYBERSECURITY, AI, DIGITAL MARKETING AND PRODUCT DESIGN
NYSC RIVERS STATE APPROVES SKILLWORKS TO TRAIN CORPS MEMBERS IN CYBERSECURITY, AI, DIGITAL MARKETING AND PRODUCT DESIGN
PORT HARCOURT, Rivers State, 4 August 2026 — The National Youth Service Corps (NYSC), Rivers State, has approved Skillworks to provide technology-focused post-camp training for corps members serving across five Local Government Areas in the state.
The approval, communicated to Skillworks in a letter dated 28 July 2026 and signed by Chukwu Caroline (Mrs) on behalf of the State Coordinator, covers technology as an area of specialisation under the NYSC Skills Acquisition and Entrepreneurship Development (SAED) programme.
Under the arrangement, corps members serving in Port Harcourt I, Port Harcourt II, Obio-Akpor, Eleme and Ikwerre Local Government Areas will have access to practical technology training delivered by Skillworks at its training facility in D-Line, Port Harcourt.
The approved training will be delivered across three major technology streams:
- Cybersecurity
- Artificial Intelligence / Machine Learning
- Digital Marketing and Data Analysis
- UI/UX and Product Design
Each programme runs for three months and is designed to give corps members practical, market-relevant skills that can be applied in employment, freelancing, entrepreneurship and further professional development.
Successful participants will receive the relevant NYSC SAED certificate alongside a Skillworks professional certificate upon completion of their training.
Turning a service year into a skills opportunity
For Skillworks, the partnership represents an opportunity to address one of the persistent gaps facing young Nigerian graduates: the distance between academic qualifications and practical skills required in today’s workplace.
Every year, thousands of young graduates enter the NYSC programme after completing university or polytechnic education. While many leave with valuable academic knowledge, a significant number still struggle to translate that knowledge into practical skills that can create employment or income opportunities.
Skillworks Founder and Chief Executive Officer, Emi Iyalla, said the partnership was designed to help corps members use their service year to acquire skills that remain relevant beyond the mandatory one-year programme.
“A degree is important, but the workplace is asking young people to do more. They need to know how to use the tools, solve problems and actually deliver something of value,” Iyalla said.
“Our objective is to give corps members that practical exposure while they are still serving. If someone finishes NYSC with a degree and can also analyse data, design digital products, protect systems, run digital campaigns or work with AI tools, they are leaving the service year with a very different level of confidence and opportunity.”
Iyalla described the NYSC approval as an important step for Skillworks and a recognition of the growing importance of technology skills in the Niger Delta.
“We are particularly interested in what this means for Rivers State. We have talented young people here. What is often missing is access to structured, practical training that connects what they have studied with what the market actually needs.”
Building technology talent in the Niger Delta
Based at 16 Isiokpo Street, D-Line, Port Harcourt, Skillworks has developed its training programmes around technology and digital skills, with courses spanning cybersecurity, artificial intelligence and machine learning, data analytics, digital marketing, UI/UX design, mobile development, cloud computing and generative AI.
The academy’s approach is centred on practical learning, with participants expected to work with industry tools, complete projects and develop skills that can be applied beyond the classroom.
The NYSC approval is initially for a six-month period, with a formal review scheduled after three months. Skillworks is also expected to submit monthly progress reports to the Rivers State Secretariat as part of the programme’s monitoring process.
For Iyalla, the larger objective goes beyond the current batch of corps members.
“The Niger Delta does not lack intelligent young people. What we need is a stronger pipeline for developing those young people into professionals who can compete anywhere in the world while building their careers from here.”
“If we can help a corps member discover cybersecurity, AI, product design or data analytics during their service year, and that skill eventually becomes their career, then we have achieved something much bigger than simply completing a training programme.”
Registration now open
Registration is currently open to eligible corps members serving in Port Harcourt I, Port Harcourt II, Obio-Akpor, Eleme and Ikwerre Local Government Areas.
Interested corps members can visit Skillworks, 16 Isiokpo Street, D-Line, Port Harcourt, or contact the academy through the details below for registration and programme information.
