The Lagos State Government has donated the Araromi Youth Centre at Gbagada to serve as Youth Hub for the USAID Youth-Powered Ecosystem, to Advance Urban Adolescent Health (YPE4AH) also called TEENSMATA.
At the hand over ceremony, Dr Olugbemiga Aina, Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Youth and Social Development, stated that the Youth Hub has been so designated to provide an enabling environment for adolescents and youths to access credible information that will impact their lives and well-being in line with the T.H.E.M.E.S Agenda of Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu’s administration.
“The adolescents and youths constitute about 65 percent of our population and this is why we have partnered with YPE4Ah to facilitate an ecosystem that will ensure their meaningful engagement. Our slogan in the Ministry is: Build the Youth, Build the Nation.
“The Araromi Youth Hub is one of the first four Centres already approved by the Government for the project out of the 53 Youth Centres in the State. The other three are Youth Centres in Lafiaji in Lagos Island, Mushin and Ikorodu,“ he said.
Dr Aina charged the Baale and residents of Araromi Community to take ownership of the Hub and encourage their youths to go there as this is yet another opportunity provided by the administration and other stakeholders for youths to get their dividends of democracy.
The representative of the Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Health and Director, Family Health and Nutrition, Dr Folasade Oludara described the project as a major step towards ensuring that the adolescents grow up to become total youths as she admonished the youths present to be the advocates of the Hub among their peers.
”The Resource Persons are well trained to provide confidential information on reproductive health in a conducive environment. I want to assure you that right information will be provided whenever you need it”.
The representative of the Permanent Secretary, Lagos State Primary Healthcare Board and Assistant Director, Reproductive Health and Planning, Dr Veronica Iwayemi highlighted adolescent’s health challenges in thematic areas such as Gender-Based Violence, (GBV) Family Planning and affirmed that the creation of the Hub will allow the adolescents and youths to access dedicated facilities like their counterparts in advanced climes.
“The Hub will be linked directly to Primary Healthcare Centre, (PHC) in Kosofe Local Government while officers will be provided on regular basis. It is for you to tell us what you need and for us to meet you at the point of your need.”
The representative of the Country Director, DAI and Executive Director, Mrs Juliet Ogedengbe advised adolescents to make good use of the Hub because the services provided is to guarantee a better future for them as designed by DAI in partnership with the Government of Nigeria, Youth Empowerment and Development Initiative (YEDI), Women Friendly Initiative (WFI), Yellow Brick Road (YBR) and Grassroot Soccer (GRS).
Celebrity Champion and Youth Advocate, Gbenga Adeyinka I, expressed great delight at the provision of the Hub as he also enjoined them to use the Hub judiciously and not damage its facility as this is the only way the Government can do more for youths.
The representative of Baale, Araromi and Eletu, Mr Ope Odo, conveyed the community’s gratitude to the Government and YPE4AH Partners for the Hub as he pledged their support towards the sustainability of the project.
The Chief of Party (COP) and Coordinator of USAID YPE4AH, Mrs Boladale Akin-Kolapo was full of excitement at the inauguration of the Youth Hub, which she described as a milestone in the life of the programme.
“I am really happy at the handover of the Hub that we will be using as platform to strengthen our engagement with the adolescents. I am particularly appreciative of the support and collaboration of the Government and its agencies in equipping our adolescents with the right knowledge and skill that will make them grow up into responsible adults.
“With the stipends provided for the youths onboarded unto the programme, many of them are doing well for themselves. Some have returned to schools while others are learning one skill or the other,” she enthused.
According to her, YPE4AH programme fosters an ecosystem that centres around Youth Hubs, which provides safe spaces to access sexual and reproductive health, right information and referrals. It also empowers young Nigerians to think meaningfully about their future and access the skills, social capital and resources needed to realise their aspirations.
Beneficiaries of the programme; Sarah Akintubuwa, Yetunde Ajisegiri and Toyibat Bello confirmed it has helped to reverse their ignorance about reproductive health issues, boost their confidence to speak up and imparted them with knowledge about gender equality and financial management.
Meanwhile, a Programme Advisory Group, (PAG) comprising Government representatives and key stakeholders has been inaugurated for the programme, with objectives to provide Technical input, Operational support and Communication and Advocacy functions to ensure successful implementation of the programme.
Working as partners on this project are Ministries, Departments and Agencies, (MDAs) which include Youth and Social Development, Health, Information and Strategy, Local Government and Community Affairs, Lagos Neighbourhood Safety Corps (LNSC) and others.
YPE4AH, is a five year programme expected to run from May 2020 to May 2025 is funded by the US Agency for International Development (USAID) and supported by the Lagos State Government, with the aim of improving the health and well-being of out-of-school youths, ages 15-19, in urban slums in selected communities in Lagos and Kano States by focusing on Life Skills, Leadership nd Livelihoods.
In August 2021, YPE4AH piloted the high-impact life skills curriculum that will be implemented in Lagos State over the life of the project tagged the Skillz Curriculum that involves the combination of sports, fun-based activities and group sessions. Developed in collaboration with both adolescents and Government stakeholders, it is being delivered by a group of 46 near-peer Youth Coaches aged 20-28 years to spur healthy behaviour change using a specialised play-centred approach. The coaches were recruited and trained within the communities.
PIAK
