Ministry to engage more youths on Edinburgh’s International Award

By Franca Ofili

The Minister of Youth and Sports Development, Mr Sunday Dare, says the ministry will encourage more Nigerian youths to participate in the Duke of Edinburgh’s International Award.

Dare said this in Abuja when Mr Akinyode Oluwatobe, Operational Manager of Edinburgh Award, paid him a courtesy call.

The Duke of Edinburgh’s International Award is a non-formal education and learning framework operating in more than 130 countries and territories around the world, through which young people’s achievements outside of academia are recognised and celebrated.

He said that the ministry was more concerned about the growth and welfare of Nigerian youths in order to ensure that they became role models.

According to him, 25 youths slated for the award was too small compared to the number of young persons in the country.

“The Nigerian youth are doing well in different aspects of life and so we will ensure that more youths get involved in the next phase of the award,’’ he said.

Dare said that the ministry was prepared to partner any organisation that had focus on youths training and skills acquisition which would make them employable.

Oluwatobe said that the award would enable the youth gain practical experience outside the classroom.

He said the award was a global framework that allowed young people to determine what they were passionate about regardless of their background, culture or access to resources.

Oluwatobe said 25 youths would be presented with the award by President Muhammadu Buhari from Feb.4 to Feb. 6.

He said the award was a non-formal education youth development programme, empowering young persons aged 14 years to 24 years to explore their full potential.

Oluwatobe said that part of the award programmes would be the exhibition where youths would display what they knew how to do better.

He said the award was the most successful youth empowerment programme in the world, adding that the youths were drawn from youth organisations, schools, religious organisations, internally displaced persons camps. (NAN)