By Alex Enebeli

The Network of Youth for Sustainable Initiative (NGYouthSDGs) has inaugurated project empowering youth organisations to build stronger communities by addressing climate issues in communities.

The project titled “Empowering Youth Civil Society to Build Stronger Communities in Nigeria” also seek youth leadership in climate action policies and implementation to safeguard rural communities.

Speaking during the project launch in Enugu on Friday, Joshua Alade, Founder of NGYouthSDGs, emphasised that youths had to play critical role in shaping Nigeria’s future.

He said the project was to raise awareness among young people, their peers and the broader community about climate issues and the importance of taking action and support youth innovations that enhance climate change adaptation and mitigation.

Alade added that the idea would help to create a Local Climate Action Network of youth organisations and actors to mobilise local support and implementation of community-based climate solutions.

He said the organisation would work with at least 15 youth organisations from Delta, Enugu, Kaduna, Ondo and Nasarawa states to actualise the initiative.

According to him, the project represents a significant step towards inclusive climate action and sustainable development to tackle looming threat of climate change challenges in Nigeria and Africa that require urgent attention.

“If young people are aware of their rights, and they can communicate and mobilise other young people as servant leaders in their communities, they can build alliances and sit with decision-makers to create programs and policies that will help youth to lead and thrive.

“This project perfectly aligns with our mission to resource youth leaders and youth-led organisations to influence policies that enable young Nigerians to lead and thrive,” Alade said.

He explained that with support from the Germany Missions in Nigeria, the initiative aimed to equip youth-led civil society organisations (CSOs) in partnership with young people in their local communities to initiate, drive and transform policies.

This, he said, would lead to the implementation of Nigeria’s National Adaptation Plan (NAP) and Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs).

“Through carefully designed capacity development sessions, these youth organisations will learn how to support NAP and NDCs.

“The trained CSOs will work together to mobilise young people and youth stakeholders in their states to facilitate the meaningful engagement of youth in the implementation of the NAP and NDCs.

“This include a National Sustainable Futures Dialogue with at least two hundred young people, therefore, raising awareness about the NAPs and the NDCs across the country,” Alade explained.

He added that the youth CSOs would be equipped with tools to work with their communities to create a Local Adaptation Plan of Action (LAPA) which would be shared with their state government ensuring young people were in the driver’s seat on policies that affect them.

According to him, the project will also provide technical support to not just the state government but other government agencies and ministries like the Federal Ministry of Environment on effective dialogue and meaningful youth engagement in the implementation of the NAP and NDCs.

The Founder stressed that Germany Government recognised that the youths were key stakeholders in the national adaptation process to climate change.

“They are providing essential funding for this project, showing their commitment to walk the talk when it comes to climate action and resourcing young Nigerians to be at the forefront of action.

This support will help NGYouthSDGs strengthen its youth leadership initiative and equip youth with the tools they need to take social action in communities across Nigeria,” he added.

He, however, urged youth organisations leading climate action in Delta, Enugu, Ondo, Kaduna and Nasarawa States, to use https://climatevoices.nigerianyouthsdgs.org/ to apply and participate in the project.

“They should also reach out to Opeyemi Ogundeji Programmes Manager, NGYouthSDGs Email: opeyemi@nigerianyouthsdgs.org About NGYouthSDGs,” he said. (NAN) (www.nannews.ng)

Published by: Hadiza Mohammed-Aliyu

By Ismail Abdulaziz
The new Pro-chancellor of the Federal University of Technology (FUT), Minna, Dr Mohammed Santuraki, has pledged to turn around the fortunes of the institution.

He said his wealth of experience as an education administrator would be deployed to ensure that the institution retains its pride of place.

In an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Monday in Minna, Santuraki said FUT, Minna would also maintain its academic excellence.

‘’FUT, Minna is one institution that has been a rallying point for not only people of Niger  or the North but for all Nigerians.

‘’It is a microcosm of the country where youths are engaged in inventions, innovations and technology development with one common cause of realising the dream of a better Nigeria.

”Nigeria youth deserve to be encouraged to realise their full potential especially in a conducive educational environment,’’ he said.

NAN reports that President Bola Tinubu approved the appointment of Santuraki as the Pro Chancellor and Chairman of the Governing Council of FUT, Minna a fortnight ago.

He is a seasoned tertiary education administrator having served earlier in the same position at the Ibrahim Badamasi Babangida University (IBBU), the Niger University.

Santuraki also served as the Vice Chairman of the Committee of Pro-chancellors of State-owned Universities in Nigeria.

The new pro-chancellor said that the appointment of the new boards of tertiary institutions would accelerate the Renewed Hope Agenda of Tinubu in the education sector.

He said that the education sector of the country would be revitalised with a strong board comprising men and women with wealth of experience and passion to make positive changes.(NAN) (www.nannews.ng)
Edited by Bashir Rabe Mani

By Okeoghene Akubuike

Mrs Kanayo Awani, Executive Vice-President, Intra-African Trade Bank, Afreximbank, says empowering the youths will be the driving force behind the emergent global Africa.

Awanu said this at the ongoing 31st Afreximbank Annual Meetings (AAM2024) in Nassau, The Bahamas.

The meetings are being monitored by the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN).

She said the youths, creatives and innovation were three powerful catalysts of Africa’s successful economic development.

Awani said a common feature of the demographic structure of the African and Caribbean regions was the dominance of youths who represented 70 per cent of the combined population of the two regions estimated at 1.4 billion.

She said the youths, when well harnessed and empowered, hold the key to a shared aspiration of economic transformation.

“Their creativity and innovation can reshape our economies and drive us towards a prosperous future.

“At this significant juncture in our collective journey, we must recognise that we need an empowered youth, fed with sufficient capital, and given the right tools, education and training.

“Also, giving them unfettered access to affordable modern technology and capacity for innovation, enabling market access, will constitute the driving force behind the emergent global Africa.

“This emergent global Africa envisions a unified and prosperous Africa and the Caribbean leveraging our shared resources, talent and innovation for economic growth and development.”

Awani said it was the duty of policymakers and agents of development to create a conducive environment and install supporting systems for the youths. .

She said Afreximbank had continued to support African youths through several initiatives like the Youth Alliance for Leadership and Development in Africa.

“We renewed our partnership with the Grand Africa initiative as well, aiming to train 300 young entrepreneurs in intra African trade and entrepreneurship.

“ The bank’s SME development programme as well supports Small and Medium Scale businesses.”

Awani said Afreximbank, through its Creative African Nexus (CANEX) Programme, was supporting creative and cultural industries, which helped African and Caribbean brands to reach international markets.

She said yearly, the bank supported the Portugal and Paris fashion shows, which gave the designers in Africa and the Caribbean a platform to expose them to global brands.

NAN reports that the 31st AAM2024 is being held in Nassau, The Bahamas from June 12 to June 15.

It has the theme: “Owning our Destiny: Economic Prosperity on the Platform of Global Africa’’(NAN)(www.nanews.ng).

Edited by Vivian Ihechu

By Talatu Maiwada

The UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF) has trained 500 National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) members to promote digital learning in schools across 21 Local Government Areas (LGAs) in Adamawa.

UNICEF Education Specialist, Mr Abdurahman Ibrahim, said this on Saturday during a two-day training session for the corps members on the Nigerian Learning Passport (NLP) in Yola.

Ibrahim explained that the NLP, a digital learning platform, was developed to enhance digital learning for both in-school and out-of-school children.

“The NLP platform offers over 15,000 learning materials. Our goal is to ensure that every child enrolls, registers for courses, and completes them.

“During COVID-19, educational activities were halted, prompting us to create an alternative learning program.”

He noted that engaging 500 corps members, who serve as teachers in schools throughout the state, aims to address the shortage of teachers on the NLP platform.

“We are leveraging the one-year service experience of corps members, particularly those in schools, to enhance learning among children,” Ibrahim said.

“Each corps member will be introduced to the NLP, enabling them to register more learners and guide them through their courses.”

He added that this initiative will increase the number of teachers and improve learning outcomes for children in the state.

The NLP includes various components that address the educational needs of schoolchildren, including non-formal education and integrated Quranic education, targeting both primary and secondary levels.

“We have begun implementing the program in some schools, distributing tablets, routers for internet access, and projectors to support the NLP platform in classrooms,” Ibrahim said.

“We encourage parents to engage their children with the learning platform and reduce their time spent playing games.”

Addressing the distribution of tablets and internet access in rural schools, Ibrahim mentioned that various partners are supporting the programme.

“We have partners in Adamawa providing essential items like tablets, routers, and projectors to schools to bridge the educational gap in the state,” he said.

(NAN)(www.nannews.ng)

Edited by Deji Abdulwahab

By Patricia Amogu

Patricia Carvalho, a Policy Support Consultant of the European Union (EU) said science, technology in the form of Artificial Intelligence (AI), arts, and culture have significant roles to play in ensuring food security in Africa.

Carvalho said this via webinar in the course of a media briefing organised to unveil the S-T-ARTS4AFRICA Programme, an art-driven initiative aimed at creating opportunities for African artists to use Artificial Intelligence (AI) to proffer solutions.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the S-T-ARTS4AFRICA Programme is an initiative driven in Nigeria by the Gallery of Code, a research, development, and innovation company.

The EU consultant said it would be intriguing to get to the core of what artists could achieve in promoting food security and access to clean water using science and technology tools such as AI.

“We believe that science, technology, arts, and culture can play a significant role in tackling socio-economic and ecological challenges that are science-related.

“Through host institutions like the Gallery of Code, using an already existing approach from the European continent, we are connecting local and international artists with regional stakeholders to boost synergy among continents.

“Currently, there are eight residencies going on in Africa under the S-T-ARTS4AFRICA programme.

“One of the residencies is in Nigeria. The second one is in Tanzania. The third one is in Senegal, and there are two in Ghana, among others.

“At the end of the projects, there will be a final event in Senegal to bring all the residency hosts together at a meeting point to connect.

“It is a short project but not a one-off collaboration, and I believe that lessons will be taken away from it and will be applied across continents,” she said.

She reaffirmed EU’s commitment to supporting the programme and praised the visual artist that the Gallery of Code is working with to develop an innovative modular storage system for roots and tubers like Yams.

Speaking at the briefing, Mr Oscar Ekponimo, the Managing Director of Gallery of Code, stated that the initiative is a dedicated version of STARTS for Africa, an EU-led intervention in Nigeria.

“STARTS was initiated in 2016 but now there is a dedicated version for Africa.

“This is the first phase and the first time this is coming up in Africa and a Nigerian has been selected from among 300 applicants.

“Jibril Baba, a visual artist, has just been awarded a grant to support his project – a smart technology (model) that will address food storage challenges, boost food production, and curb rising food insecurity gaps in Nigeria,” he said.

Ekponimo stated that the EU is pushing for innovations, with an artistic perspective because innovation is more practical and impactful when it is artistically driven.

“Our visual artist that has been selected is to implement a model yam barn that will use artificial intelligence to monitor the change in climate conditions and also check the air quality around the yams, as well as monitor the possibility of spoilage.

“This will automatically control food wastage and address food insecurity.

“This will be the first of it’s kind and the project is still in its early stages,

“We have just finished the reflection stage and going further to the actualisation stage.

“I am happy to say that there will be a final exhibition in Nigeria and our artist has also been selected to exhibit at a festival that will be held in Austria early in September,” he added.

Dr Femi Adeluyi, the National Co-ordinator, National Talent Export Programme (NATEP), a new initiative of the Federal Government, said the project “is in full alignment with what the President Bola Tinubu administration seeks to achieve by investing in the creative industry.

“This is a good model that could be enhanced and made elaborate.

“Today it’s yams we are focusing on. Tomorrow it could be another agricultural product, and we can leverage this one.

“We want opportunities where our artists can showcase their skills and our products abroad and then benefit from such investments.

“This can enhance our socio-economic strength, and it shows we have a lot of value that we can bring to the table,” he said.

Speaking on the initiative, Baba said the core of the project “is a prototype yam barn; a modular storage system where yams will be slotted into storage spaces and use sensors that can check the climate conditions, and air quality and equally shield the yams from too much sunlight.

“During our preliminary research we visited different states in the Northeastern part of the country and discovered that out of 1,500 yam tubers harvested, 600 are lost due to lack of a good storage system.”

According to him, the production of the yam barn can help reduce wastage due to spoilage while increasing productivity and strengthening the chances of ensuring food security in Nigeria. (NAN) (www.nannews.ng)

(Edited by Emmanuel Yashim)