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National Youth Investment Fund to Champion Women and Youth with Disabilities-Olawande

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Joel Ajayi

The Honourable Minister of Youth Development, Comrade Ayodele Olawande, has reaffirmed the Federal Government’s commitment to empowering young Nigerians through innovative programmes, inclusive policies, and strategic partnerships.

He made this known at the Retreat on Presidential Priorities and Deliverables – 2025 Mid-Term Review, held in Abuja, where he presented the Ministry’s performance report.

According to the Minister, the Ministry has not only met but exceeded its second-quarter targets: 14,509 youth trained in digital skills (target: 10,000); 97,212 engaged in mentorship and career development (target: 80,000); 5,023 trained in crime reduction and peace-building (target: 2,500); over 250,000 enrolled in the Nigerian Youth Academy; 5,700 Help Desk cases processed with 3,407 resolved; and ₦31.6 million generated from Youth Centres (target: ₦11 million).

He further announced that a dedicated window of the National Youth Investment Fund (NYIF) will target women and youth with disabilities, alongside new partnerships with women’s groups, disability organisations, and the private sector, supported by clear performance indicators.

Speaking at the retreat, the EU Ambassador to Nigeria and ECOWAS, Mr. Gutier Migot, reaffirmed the European Union’s strong partnership with the Ministry.

He praised the Ministry’s leadership, noting past collaborations such as the 2021 National Youth Conference and the 2024 CSO Stakeholders’ Forum, which informed the new National Youth Action Plan. Migot also highlighted ongoing EU-backed initiatives, including the D SAFE Project (with UNFPA), the Nigeria Jubilee Fellowship Programme, Digital Transformation Centres, and the EU Agricultural Value Chain Facility, while commending the resilience of Nigerian youth.

The Permanent Secretary, Mr. Olubunmi Olusanya, officially opened the retreat, describing it as a strategic moment for reflection and renewed commitment.

He emphasised the Ministry’s focus on strengthening coordination, enhancing performance management, building staff capacity, and creating flexible, sustainable structures.

Delivering a goodwill message, the Director-General of the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC), Brigadier General Olakunle Nafiu, commended the Minister’s vision. He highlighted NYSC’s contributions: 56,013 corps members trained in digital skills (including 2,920 women in partnership with the Enterprise Development Centre), 385,461 engaged in SAED since June 2023, and 1,118 supported to establish businesses.

He reaffirmed NYSC’s commitment to partnerships that advance youth empowerment and national development.

Also speaking, Ms. Rinsola Abiola, Director-General of the Citizenship and Leadership Training Centre (CLTC), described the retreat as a timely opportunity to align with President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda.

She stressed that Nigeria’s future depends on nurturing responsible, patriotic, and ethical youth, reaffirmed CLTC’s commitment to collaboration, and encouraged participants to contribute innovative ideas to shape youth policy under the theme: “Build the Youth, Build the Nation.”

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Eagle Times Newspaper Will Be Voice for Nigerians – Publisher Chukwunyere Vows

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Joel Ajayi

 The Publisher of The Eagle Times Nigeria, Sir Ikechukwu Chukwunyere, has pledged that the newspaper will promote accountability, credible journalism and public-interest reporting in its coverage of national affairs.
Chukwunyere made the commitment on Thursday, October 1, 2026, during the official unveiling and launch of The Eagle Times Nigeria.


He said the new media organisation was established not merely to add another newspaper to Nigeria’s media landscape, but to provide a platform committed to serving the public interest.


According to him, the newspaper’s guiding philosophy, “The Voice for the People, The Watchdog for the Nation,” places a responsibility on the organisation to listen to Nigerians, tell their stories, highlight issues affecting their daily lives and scrutinise those entrusted with public responsibilities.


“To be a voice for the people means that we must listen to Nigerians, tell their stories, highlight their concerns and give visibility to issues that affect their daily lives,” he said.


The publisher added that The Eagle Times would be guided by accuracy, fairness, professionalism, credibility and responsible journalism, stressing that the newspaper would not publish stories merely because they were sensational.


“We will verify. We will investigate. We will seek the other side. We will correct our mistakes when we make them,” he said. 


Chukwunyere further stated that the newspaper would endeavour to give individuals and organisations the opportunity to respond whenever allegations were made against them.
“Our commitment is not to any political party, government or individual. Our primary commitment is to journalism, to truth and to the Nigerian public,” he said. 


He noted that the newspaper was launching at a time when the media industry was undergoing rapid transformation, with audiences increasingly consuming news through digital platforms, including websites, television, podcasts and social media. 


He said The Eagle Times would therefore operate as a multimedia organisation, combining its newspaper with digital platforms and The Eagle Times TV to reach audiences across different channels.


According to him, the organisation also intends to create opportunities for young journalists, writers, photographers, producers, digital creators and other media professionals to develop their skills and contribute to journalism and national development.


Chukwunyere said the newspaper’s coverage would include politics, governance, business, economy, security, judiciary, education, health, technology, sports, entertainment, lifestyle and international affairs. 


He, however, said the organisation intended to distinguish itself not only by the subjects it covered but by the quality and approach of its journalism.


We want to tell stories that matter, we want to investigate issues that require investigation, we want to highlight Nigerians who are making a difference, and we want to give communities that are often ignored an opportunity to be heard,” he said.


The publisher acknowledged the challenges involved in establishing a newspaper, saying the venture required investment, commitment, professional discipline and the courage to pursue an idea.


He expressed appreciation to the management, editorial, reporting, production and digital teams, as well as families, friends, partners and supporters who contributed to the establishment of the organisation.


Chukwunyere also assured readers, viewers and the newspaper’s digital audience that The Eagle Times would strive to earn their trust and remain accountable to the standards it had set for itself. 


He said the newspaper’s success would not be measured only by circulation figures, website traffic or social media followers, but also by the confidence Nigerians placed in its journalism.


“Today, we spread our wings. Today, The Eagle Times takes flight,” he said, reaffirming the newspaper’s commitment to its slogan: “The Voice for the People, The Watchdog for the Nation.”

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