Federal Govt, Nasarawa Govt Step Up At-risk-children Programme Implementation

Federal Government of Nigeria has signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with the government of Nasarawa State to facilitate the coordination and implementation of its At-Risk-Children Programme (ARC-P) in the state.

The MoU is designed to ease the engagement process and define the roles and responsibilities of both levels of government towards the smooth implementation of ARC-P, which was initiated as part of strategies by the federal government to address the cross-cutting concerns of out-of-school-children across Nigeria, thereby giving them a life of hope and dignity.

Under the agreement, Nasarawa State government is among other things expected to provide the infrastructure such as land for agriculture and setting up of community hubs for the training of the vulnerable children, as well as supply relevant data needed to identify and map out those in the state that need to be supported. For its part, the federal government through the Office of the Special Adviser on Social Investments, shall among other things facilitate the coordinating framework, comprehensive strategy and funding required to address the multiple and cross-cutting deprivations of the rights of children at risk in Nasarawa State.

The document was signed on Tuesday in Lafia during the closing ceremony of a three-week capacity building programme for youth facilitators under the federal government’s At-Risk-Children Programme, ARC-P in Nasarawa.

The special adviser to the president on social investments, Mrs Maryam Uwais, who is also the national coordinator of ARC-P, signed the MoU for the federal government.

She thanked the Nasarawa State government for embracing the programme which, according to her, would go a long way in addressing the menace of out-of-school-children and child poverty, not just in Nasarawa but the country in general.

“May I sincerely express my profound gratitude to the Government of Nasarawa State. There is no way we can execute this Programme without the State Government led by His Excellency, Engineer Abdullahi Sule. The Governor was quick to embrace ARC-P to a point where he even promised to commit his personal funds to ensure that the programme is successfully implemented in Nasarawa. We also appreciate the efforts of the commissioner for women affairs in Nasarawa as well as other team members working on this project in the state”, Mrs Uwais said.

The presidential aide also commended the youth facilitators for the completion of the training designed to empower them with the requisite knowledge and skills that will enable them to provide the needed guidance, mentorship and support for the vulnerable children who will be assigned to them.

Governor Abdullahi Sule, who was represented by the state commissioner for women affairs and social development, Aisha Rufai Ibrahim, said it had demonstrated the state government’s commitment to the wellbeing of children.

She said Executive Order 21 has since been signed to speed up the implementation of the Child’s Right Act in order to protect and guarantee a better future for children in the state.