41,000 To Benefit From At-Risk-Children Programme In Borno–Presidency

The presidency has restated its commitment to proffering lasting solutions to the challenges posed by the rising number of out-of-school-children across Nigeria.

Special adviser to the president on social investments, Mrs Maryam Uwais, stated this  in Maiduguri during the closing the ceremony of a three-week capacity building programme for youth facilitators under the federal government’s At-Risk-Children Programme in Borno State.

Uwais who listed the objectives of ARC-P to include restoring  a life of hope and dignity to millions of street children and vulnerable young people in the country, said the youth facilitators were trained on several skills including basic literacy and numeracy, sports and life skills, vocational and digital skills, mental health, psychosocial support as well as basic monitoring and evaluation.

In a statement by the  communications officer, Bright Eugene, she said the intensive training exercise was in line with the implementation strategy of the At-Risk-Children Programme organised to empower the youth facilitators with the requisite knowledge and skills that will enable them provide the needed guidance, mentorship and support for the vulnerable children assigned to them.

The presidential aide disclosed that the 830 youth facilitators trained in Borno would be assigned a minimum of 50 children across the 18 local government areas of the State, noting that more than 41000 street children and vulnerable young people are expected to benefit in the first phase of the Programme in Borno State.