By Philip Yatai
The Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA) has reaffirmed its commitment to the welfare and empowerment of young people following the formal takeover of the FCT Adolescents and Young People (AYP) Technology Incubation Hub.
The facility, designed to equip vulnerable youth with digital, life skills, public health and HIV prevention education, was handed over to the FCT Women Affairs Secretariat by the Institute of Human Virology Nigeria (IHVN) in Abuja on Tuesday.
Speaking, Hajiya Asmau Mukhtar, the Permanent Secretary of the ministry, said that the administration under the FCT Minister, Mr Nyesom Wike, is deeply committed to supporting women, vulnerable groups and adolescents.
“Adolescence is a very sensitive stage in the lives of our children.
“It is a period where parents, guardians, institutions and society should be in one accord to ensure that our children become better versions of themselves as adults,” she said.
Mukhtar explained that the specialised innovation space was designed to equip vulnerable youth with digital and life skills while incorporating critical public health and HIV prevention education.
She praised the condition of the centre following a prior inspection by officials of the secretariat and promised to run the facility as a centre of excellence.
She added that the FCT is the only place in the country that had set aside a day dedicated specifically for adolescent girls.
“We will continue to train not just one individual, but families, the community and society at large because the FCT Administration is interested in building manpower capacity across the FCT.
“With the formal transfer completed, the Women Affairs Secretariat will work closely with the IHVN team to oversee operations, secure ongoing government funding and scale up outreach to vulnerable youth and their caregivers across the FCT.
“This will strengthen opportunities for digital skills, life skills, HIV prevention education and social support for adolescents and young people across the FCT,” she said.
Highlighting the motivation behind the transfer, Dr Helen Onuh, Director of Prevention, Care and Treatment, IHVN, explained that transitioning ownership to the government was crucial for long-term viability.
Onuh explained that the AYP Hub was inaugurated on Oct. 9, 2024 and since then been managed by IHVN.
She added that it was established and funded by the United States Government through the U.S. Centres for Disease Control and Prevention and the President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief.
She pointed out that while donor funding operates on strict timelines, public ownership ensures the facility remains open and sustained.
“The center had so far trained and graduated about 75 individuals, with 50 adolescents currently receiving six months of post-graduation support,” Onuh said. (NAN)
Edited by Polycarp Auta
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