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UNFPA trains North-East youths on project management, implementation
The United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) has trained Youth-Led Organizations (YLO) from the North-East on effective project management, implementation, and sustainability.
Mr Christian Macauley, UNFPA Humanitarian Coordinator for the region made this known at the closing of the workshop on Friday in Kano.
Macauley said that the four-day training was organized to bring positive change and address various development challenges in the Northeast.
He said that the 24 members of Youth-Led Organizations, which comprised males and females, were chosen from front-line states of Borno, Adamawa and Yobe.
Macauley explained that the organization rolled out its ninth country programme in 2023 and that youth empowerment was one of the major components.
According to him, 63 per cent of Nigeria’s population is made up of young people and they believe that reckoning with young persons would help push forward the agenda of UNFPA.
The humanitarian coordinator added that three transformative agenda of UNFPA include zero maternal deaths, ending the unmet need for family planning and gender-based violence, and all harmful practices.
He said that empowering the organisations would help them achieve the transformative result because most of the organizations are youths and women rights groups.
“With this workshop, we intend to have stronger leaders who can champion the cause of their organizations and the only way we can support them is to train them on stronger managerial skills to be able to pilot their organizations.
“The training will also equip them on how to manage human resources, financial resources and mobilize resources from donors.
“It will also help them to be stronger to run their organizations and compete with bigger organizations,” he said.
Macauley, who described young people as very innovative and energetic, said that working with them would surely bring sustainability, durability and would encourage young people to come up with great ideas.
He also lauded the Federal Government’s commitment in championing the cause of youths in Nigeria.
Earlier, the Minister of Women Affairs, Mrs Uju Kennedy-Ohanenye, has reiterated the Federal Government’s commitment to protect women and girls’ rights.
Represented by Jafar Muhammad, Assistant Chief Community Development Officer of the ministry, the minister said that the federal government has a mandate to take care of women, girls and youths.
The minister said that equipping the youths to take care of themselves would go a long way in reducing unemployment in the country.
She also expressed the government commitment to tackle Gender Based Violence in the country.
Some of the participants, who spoke enthusiastically, said they were ready to go back to the field to practice what they had learned.
Godiya Simon said she had learnt how to do proper documentation and promised to share the knowledge with others.
Mr Zion Japheth, said he had learnt how to listen and also manage human resources, financial resources.
Joshua Jatau, said that learnt managerial skills and how to pilot an organization successfully.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), reports that the training, which commenced on Monday, ended on Friday with the presentation of certificates to all the participants.
NAN
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Kano State Government says it is targeting the distribution of more than 3.5 million meals under its 2026 Ramadan feeding programme across the state.
The Commissioner for Religious Affairs and Chairman of the Ramadan Feeding Programme, Alhaji Ahmed Tijani, said this while inspecting designated cooking centres responsible for preparing and packaging meals for beneficiaries.
Tijani said the inspection was aimed at assessing hygiene conditions, quality of ingredients and the general cooking process at the centres.
According to him, the team focused on cooking facilities and packaging processes rather than distribution points.
“We visited some of the major contractors responsible for preparing large quantities of meals daily for the programme.
“One of the companies we inspected feeds about 25,000 people daily, while others also prepare between 13,000 and 25,000 meals each day,” he said.
He explained that the programme targets the preparation of about 115,000 meal packages daily throughout the 29 days of Ramadan.
The commissioner said the meals would be distributed across the eight metropolitan Local Government Areas of the state.
Tijani commended the contractors for maintaining good hygiene standards at the cooking centres.
“We inspected the kitchens, the environment and the packaging process to ensure that the food meets the required hygiene standards.
“We are satisfied with what we saw. The level of cleanliness and the quality of the food being prepared are commendable,” he said.
He added that government officials had intensified monitoring to ensure quality control throughout the programme.
According to him, the supervision has helped address earlier concerns about food quality recorded at the beginning of the exercise.
“For the past two weeks, we have been visiting different centres to monitor both the quantity and quality of meals being prepared,” he said.
Tijani also said the government had resolved cases where some individuals attempted to divert food meant for designated distribution centres.
He noted that the situation had been addressed in collaboration with local authorities, adding that such cases had reduced significantly.
The commissioner said the cooking centres were also complying with the dietary standards approved by the state government.
“We checked the ingredients being used, including cooking oil, seasoning and meat, and they meet the required standards,” he said.
Tijani described the 2026 Ramadan feeding programme as one of the most organised in the state, noting that the government would continue to monitor the exercise to ensure its success.
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A political support group, Tinubu/Dikko Assured (TDA 2027) has on Wednesday donated ₦11 million in cash and 95 bags of rice to party executives of the All Progressives Congress in Katsina.
The distribution, which took place in Katsina, was aimed at supporting party leaders and stakeholders during the holy month of Ramadan.
The Director-General and founder of the group, Umar Ahmad-Zayyad, said the distribution exercise would be supervised by members of the TDA State Steering Committee.
Represented by the TDA State Coordinator, Khalil Aminu, the D-G said the gesture was part of the group’s continued commitment to strengthening the party structure from the grassroots while supporting loyal party executives.
He further assured that the structure of the party in Katsina Local Government and the state in general, remains intact, adding that it had mobilised ahead of future political engagements.
Ahmad-Zayyad described the outreach as part of a sustained effort to consolidate party unity and reinforce grassroots mobilisation in line with the objectives of the Tinubu/Dikko 2027 Project.
He described Ramadan as a period of sacrifice, compassion and generosity, adding that the initiative was designed to cushion the economic burden on party officials and their families during the fasting period.
According to the breakdown provided at the ceremony, five bags of rice and ₦500,000 were distributed across each of the 12 Wards in Katsina Local Government Area.
In addition, 15 bags of rice and ₦2 million were presented to the Katsina Local Government Executives to support their activities and welfare.
Similarly, 20 bags of rice alongside ₦3 million were handed over to the State Party Executives as part of the broader intervention package.
Party leaders who received the items expressed appreciation to Ahmad-Zayyad for what they described as a timely and thoughtful intervention.
Other beneficiaries who spoke at the occasion pledged their continued loyalty and support to the party’s leadership at both the state and national levels.
NAN
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Gov. Dikko Radda of Katsina has unveiled a ₦10.3 million Ramadan support initiative under the Maituraka Foundation for APC members and community leaders in Katsina Local Government.
The cash disbursement, launched on Tuesday in Katsina, aims to cushion the effects of economic hardship on beneficiaries during the fasting period.
Radda described the intervention as humanitarian, reflecting “the spirit of Ramadan, a period of compassion, sacrifice and generosity”.
He stressed that governance must remain people-centred, adding that supporting citizens is a priority of his administration.
The governor said strategic partnerships with well-meaning individuals and groups would continue to complement government efforts at poverty alleviation.
He commended APC members for their maturity and unity during the recently concluded party congresses.
According to him, the outcome has strengthened the party’s internal cohesion and grassroots structures across the state.
“After the APC congresses, our party has emerged stronger and more united than ever before.
“This unity will translate into better service delivery and political stability,” he said.
The programme’s initiator, Abdulaziz Maituraka, said the ₦10.3 million intervention was conceived as a Ramadan gesture to support beneficiaries.
Maituraka stated that those selected had remained steadfast in advancing the party’s ideals at the grassroots.
He described Ramadan as a season of giving and reflection, urging beneficiaries to use the support to ease domestic burdens.
Maituraka also called on party faithful to sustain their loyalty and mobilise support for Radda ahead of future political engagements.
He specifically urged continued backing for Radda and President Bola Tinubu in the 2027 general elections.
“Though this is an annual gesture, this year’s edition is unique because I expanded it to cover the entire local government.
“My first consideration is the APC, where I belong,” Maituraka said.
Beneficiaries expressed gratitude, describing the intervention as timely and impactful amid rising living costs.
NAN
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KNSG targets over 3.5m Ramadan meals, commends hygiene at cooking centres
APC stakeholders warn against factional politics in Adamawa
Tinubu campaign group donates N11m, rice to Katsina APC Officials
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