100,000 VULNERABLE CHILDREN TO ENJOY LIFE SKILLS IN NIGER STATE THROUGH AT-RISK PROGRAM BY YUNUSA ABUGI IN MINNA.

100,000 VULNERABLE CHILDREN TO ENJOY LIFE SKILLS IN NIGER STATE THROUGH AT-RISK PROGRAM 

BY YUNUSA ABUGI- In Minna.

The wife of the Niger State governor and Chairperson of the Advisory Board of the At-Risk Programme, Hajiya Fatima Umaru Bago, has appealed to the federal government to expand the programme in the state to carter for the high number of out-of-school children in the state.

The governor's wife made the appeal during the official flag-off of the training of facilitators for the at risk children. 

The event which held at the Women Multipurpose Center, Minna, on Tuesday, 17th September 2024, had the wife of the governor Hajiya Fatima disclosing that the Niger State government has commenced the implementation of a programme targeting 100,000 children and young people in the state.

She also called on the facilitators to pay adequate attention to the training so as to increase the impact of the programme on the lives of the benefiting children. 

According to her, the decision to use youths as facilitators is to give these vulnerable children a sense of belonging.

She assured of the state government's commitment to the success of the project.

The Team Lead and Coordinator of ARC-P in the state, Hajiya Aisha Tafida, explained that the target beneficiaries in the first phase were 70,000 but the number was later increased to 100,000 by the state government.

She further explained that," the beneficiaries are vulnerable children and young people between the ages of five and 26 years, who are carefully identified to learn skills that will make them self-reliant.

She added "Children who are not opportuned in the society to have a sense of belonging in order to reduce their vulnerability," she said.

She then noted that 1,250 selected youth facilitators were to be trained and would be engaged to teach basic skills to the children to become self- reliant.

Tafida hinted that Chanchaga, Paikoro, and Bosso would be used as pilot local councils, adding that the remaining councils would thereafter follow.

Earlier in her keynote address, Mrs. Grace Obi, Deputy Director, Federal Ministry of Budget and Planning, revealed that Niger State was very important to the Federal Government and appreciated the state for keying into the project.

She stated that Niger State has 71 percent girls between the ages of 25 and 29 in their productive age, adding that only ARCH-P can reduce unplanned children in the state.

Obi maintained that the President Bola Tinubu administration had set a target to lift 100 million Nigerians out of poverty, adding that ARCH-P aimed to engage young people in meaningful ventures.

Also speaking at the event, the Secretary to Niger State Government, Alhaji Abubakar Usman, represented by Alhaji Danladi Buhari, urged the facilitators to be committed to the implementation of the programme in the state.