Tag: International Award for Young People Nigeria

The International Award for Young People Nigeria has held a Bronze Award Presentation Ceremony for licensed Government Schools in Jos, Plateau State.

It was organised to celebrate the achievements and commitment of young participants who successfully completed the requirements of the Bronze level of the Award.

The milestone marked a significant contribution to youth development across the state and is a proud moment for both the participants and the stakeholders involved.

The Award in Plateau State began with the approval from the Plateau State Ministry of Education in December 2023, following which the Award was officially launched in the state in March 2024, with the successful completion of a New Award Leaders Training.

The delivery of the Award in Plateau is part of The Reach Project, an initiative of the International Award for Young People Nigeria aimed at ensuring more Government Secondary Schools in Nigeria deliver the Award and more groups of young people have the opportunity to participate in the Award Framework.

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Out of the eight states where the Reach Project is being implemented in Nigeria, Plateau has set the pace with the support of the State Ministry of Education, Citizenship and Leadership Training Centre (CLTC), and dedicated adult volunteers in the schools.

It is the first state to host an Award presentation ceremony and to have a high number of participants complete the Bronze Award.

A total of 641 participants were celebrated during the Award presentation ceremony held at Government Secondary School, Hwolshe, in Jos and was graced by key education stakeholders.

In attendance was Mrs. Kathleen Nyango Rahab, Director of Schools Plateau State Ministry of Education, who represented the Commissioner for Education.

Other dignitaries included Mr. Yilbuk Albert Stephen, Area Director and focal person for the Award in the Ministry; the Principal of GSS Hwolshe; as well as teachers and Award Leaders from participating schools.

The Awardees showcased the skills they had developed through participating in the Award.

There was also an exhibition of metalwork, including a handcrafted metal stool, as well as hand-made beadwork, wigs, clothing, notebooks, and graphic design works.

Participants also displayed culinary skills by presenting local delicacies such as Abacha and a variety of snacks they learned while participating in the Award.

The exhibition highlighted not only the talents of the participants but also the practical impact of the skills section of the Award.

Participants shared personal testimonies about how the Award has influenced their lives.

Many spoke of increased self-confidence, compassion, improved physical fitness, and stronger team spirit.

The Adventurous Journey section, in particular, stood out for many as they recalled how it helped them understand the value of teamwork and resilience.

In attendance at the ceremony was Mr. Bello Oshoke, National Director of the International Award for Young People Nigeria, who congratulated the Awardees on their resilience and dedication in achieving their goals.

He also emphasised the significance of the Award in supporting both personal growth and career development.

The International Award for Young People Nigeria has held a two-day New Award Leaders Training for adult leaders from 45 government schools in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).

The event, which was held at Government Secondary School, Tudun Wada, had 36 teachers in attendance.

It was to equip them with the necessary skills to effectively implement the Award framework in their schools.

On the second day of the training, an Award Centre licence presentation ceremony was held, which was attended by the school principals, the Director of the FCT Secondary Education Board, Hajiya Fatima Gambo and other officials from the Board.

License agreement and certificate were presented to each school as a licensed Award Centre.

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Each school was also provided with a laptop and an MTN Mi-Fi internet device to ensure that Award participants can record their Award activities online and their Award Leaders can effectively monitor their progress, like their counterparts from over 130 countries where the Award operates.

A similar event was also held in Kogi State at GYB Model Science Secondary School, Adankolo, Lokoja for Award Leaders and Principals from 18 government schools with a total of 36 teachers trained as Award Leaders while the laptops and MTN Mi-Fi internet devices were presented to the principals of each school.

National Director of the International Award for Young People Nigeria, Mr. Bello Oshoke, emphasised the critical role these tools will play.

He highlighted that the laptops and MiFi devices are essential for helping Award Leaders guide students in recording their activities on the Online Record Book (ORB).

Director of the FCT Secondary Education Board, Hajiya Fatima Gambo commended the organisation for its eight years of unwavering support for students.

She urged the principals to ensure that the devices are exclusively utilised for the intended purpose of assisting students during the Award programme.

The director, accompanied by Mr Itham from the FCT Secondary Education Board, presented the laptops and MiFi devices to the principals from FCT schools.

The event concluded with the principals expressing their gratitude to the organization for the provision of these devices, assuring that they will be used strictly to assist students in participating and achieving the Award.

The International Award for Young People Nigeria is known globally as The Duke of Edinburgh’s International Award (“The Award”).

The Award is a global framework for non-formal education and learning, which challenges young people to dream big, celebrate their achievements and make a difference in their world.

Through developing transferable skills, increasing their fitness levels, cultivating a sense of adventure and volunteering in their community, the Award helps young people find their purpose, passion and place in the world.

Operating in over 130 countries and territories, the Award inspires millions of young people to take control and make their own choices.

More than a million young people are participating in the Award worldwide through hundreds of thousands of youth-focused partners and operators, including schools, universities, youth organizations, examination boards, and youth offender institutions, all of which are attuned to the interests and challenges facing today’s youth.

Since its reintroduction in Nigeria in 2014, the Award has made significant progress and is now operating in more than 14 states and the FCT.

Over 65,000 young people from over 350 Award Centres have participated, guided and supported by over 1,200 trained adult mentors. Our goal is to make the Award available to over 200,000 young Nigerians by 2027, regardless of their background, circumstances, or challenges.