Nation
FCTA Empowers 19, 850 Indigent Youths
The Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA), Wednesday in Abuja, said it had trained and empowered over 19, 850 indigent youth in the territory.
The Mandate Secretary for the FCT Social Development Secretariat, Hadiza Kabir, made the disclosure, while briefing newsmen on the activities of the secretariat in the last 12 months.
She said the secretariat had, in the last one year, organised a moral rebranding programme in which youth from across the six Area Councils of the FCT benefited.
Kabir also said over 300 youths were trained and empowered in fish farming and aquaculture within the period under review.
Similarly, she said the secretariat trained over 500 youths in ‘Technopreneurship’ to champion small business establishments in technology-based fields like solar and computer combined with leadership training.
According to Kabir, the secretariat also sponsored 600 youth to participate in the 2022 Zuma Film Festival.
In the same vein, 450 youths were trained in agro-based business in collaboration with the Federal Ministry of Agriculture.
She said: “Within this period, about 13,100 youth were trained in leather works, satellite installation, welding and metal fabrication and ICT.
“Similarly, another set of 5,500 youth were empowered and given starter packs to jumpstart their learnt vocations.”
Kabir listed other successes recorded in the last one year to include: Evacuation of 12,500 beggars from the streets of Abuja.
According to her, “We also provided feeding and psycho-social counseling to them, just as they were repatriated back to their respective states of origin to decongest the Capital City Centre (CCC).
“The secretariat had successfully evacuated 4,519 mentally retarded persons with drugs related cases out of which 502 had successfully been treated and reunited with their loved ones.
“Medical social welfare can now be accessed in 15 FCTA hospitals as against the previous 10 hospitals that offer such assistance due to the influx of people into the city.
The Alliance Française Port Harcourt in conjunction with the Embassy of France Nigeria over the weekend joined the globe to campaign against the 2025 gender- based violence (GBV) with the theme: “16 Days of Activism Against Gender- Based Voice”
The event which took place at the event Hall of the Alliance Française Port Harcourt was in collaboration with the Female in Gaming Network, ( FIGN) and partnership with Nexal a body that seeks to promote online safety and responsible digital behaviour.
The Tide reports that the project which was aimed at promoting digital safety and girls inclusion in Gaming, with the initiative tagged ‘Gameover Gender- Base Violence’was part of the global campaign against gender- based Violence.
The activity which experienced a flavour of festivity was full of fun and excitements as participants took part in tournaments on popular digital games such as Mario kart and EAFC 25, with an intent to creating safer and more inclusive digital spaces.
The Director of the Alliance Française Port Harcourt, Mrs Marina Lacal said that these activities were designed to encourage inclusion of girls, team work and fair play on online gaming spaces, saying that the gaming world reflects these inequalities, where female players are often under represented.
According to her the main objectives of the initiative was to provide a supportive environment for girls and female in gaming network.
“GameOverGBV” is a project created to reshape this landscape by offering an innovative inclusiveness of girls on online digital Gaming community and digital environments that provide opportunities for creativity, learning and connection, but also fight against Gender-Based Violence Digital Gaming,”she said
She however, explained that the Digital Game, sport competitions, was launched to strengthen social and digital skills through games, workshops, and raise awareness among all young participants about respect, equality and digital citizenship.
The Tide News reports that in Port Harcourt, the competition brought together 100 young participants from three major universities: University of Port Harcourt, ( UNIPORT),Ignatius Ajuru University of Education(IAUE) and Rivers State University (RSU)as well as students from four selected secondary schools, Oginigba comprehensive Secondary.School, Vine lnternational, Virgo predicanda lnternational, and Excellent Montessori Secondary school.
“This is an approach where girls and boys can learn, play and collaborate in a more respectful and safe space for young women, while ensuring a safe, enjoyable and respectful digital environment. It also expose young women to cyberbullying, exclusion, sexist comments and online hate,” Mrs. Lacal said.
Earlier, a game developer Sophia Nei and her. team had engaged participants in an interactive session with the theme: “Can Video Games Be Safe Spaces For Girls?”
However, Mrs Nei and her team educated the girls on the benefits and violence on online digital gaming and urged them ( participants)to learn to say ‘No’ to Online hate, sexist and cyber bullying, while encouraging them(students) to stand up for themselves by reporting such issues to the appropriate authority.
Highlight of the competition was the awarding of prizes to winners by the Director of Alliance Française, Mrs Marina Lacal.
