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APRM Charges Youth Vanguard On Development Of Africa

Published

5 years ago

March 23, 2021

Joel Ajayi

Chief Executive Officer, Continental Secretariat African Peer Review Mechanism APRM Prof. Eddy Maloka has called on youth in Africa to be selfless, dedicated, exemplary leadership toward the development of Africa.

This even as the APRM launches youth vanguard unit in Nigeria to enable Nigerian Youths’ engagement with their Continental counterparts in the areas of Good Governance and Sustainable Development.

He stated this on Monday at the ongoing second review of APRM and official launching of Youth Vanguard unit in Nigeria urged them to be selfless, dedicated, and asks them to be exemplary leadership to their watchword.

Prof. Maloka said Africa must leverage on the potential and ingenuity of its youth for it to grow, saying Africa can’t grow without youth.

The launching had the theme “African Youth: The Hope of Good Governance” and the Pioneer Members were inspired with words of encouragement from the Continental and National Structures of APRM.

He commended Nigerian Youths for their determination to contribute their quota towards Continental development.

“We are happy to launch APRM Nigeria Youth Vanguard because the Vanguards are the most dedicated, selfless exemplary Youths in the Continent.

“We look forward to collaboration between APRM Nigeria Youth Vanguard and the APRM Youth Network to promote synergy and effectiveness among African Youths youth are the strength of nation, I want Africa to know that without youth continent may not grow.”

Maloka expressed he looked forward to their active participation in subsequent Continental Youth Programmes.

Speaking on the ongoing Second Review Process of Nigeria, the Continental Boss said “the Continent awaits the Country Self-Assessment Report (CSAR) so that others can learn from things the country is doing well and its efforts in surmounting the challenges.

“APRM is not to shame any nation or beautify it, rather to see itself in the mirror, identify its growth and do the needful where necessary”.

Earlier in her address, Hon. Princess Gloria Akobundu, Chief Executive Officer, APRM Nigeria said the Youth Vanguard was borne out of several engagements between APRM Secretariat and the Youths across the Country.

Akobundu, who is also National Coordinator, African Union Development Agency- New Partnership for Africa’s Development ( AUDA-NEPAD) Nigeria set the event on motion saying “The Youth Population in Nigeria is huge and cannot be neglected, that is why we have to bring them on a platform that can be used to compete positively and actively with their counterparts in the continent.

“The Youth Vanguard will be used to propagate mandates of APRM to the Youths in various sectors of the economy and at all levels of governance, especially at the grassroots.

“Through the Vanguard, we will further expose students in various levels of learning, from Universities to Secondary Schools in the country to `Good Governance and Development’ so that they will imbibe it and promote it wherever they go.

“That will help us achieve `Nigeria We Want’ and `Africa We Want’ as enshrined in African Union (AU) Agenda 2063 and United Nations (UN) Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) 2030.

“Don’t forget they are the future leaders and by the time they become leaders they will be able to further promote core values of APRM- Good Governance and Positive Development.”

She mentioned various efforts of President Muhammadu Buhari to give sense of belongings to Nigerian Youths, including signing into law `Not Too Young To Run’ Bill in 2018 which further widened the net for Youths participation in governance in the country.

Also, Member, National Governing Council (NGC) APRM Nigeria Dr. Louis Mandama, urged the Youths to embrace APRM Values so that they could be part of Nigeria’s efforts to berth `Africa We Want’.

On his remark, Leader of APRM Nigeria Youth Vanguard Ambassador Michael Chukwuemeka, said the Association would hit the ground running.

“We are ready to engage our peers at the urban and grassroots on the need to actively participate in good governance and strategic development of our country and the continent at large.

“Nigeria’s Youth Vanguard will surely add positive value to youth’s involvement in the realization of AU- Agenda 2063 ‘Africa We Want.”

The launching Coincided with visit by APRM Continental Support Mission Team’s visit to Prof. Ibrahim Gambari, Chief of Staff to President Muhammadu Buhari at the State House on Monday.

Prof. Maloka led the Continental Team; Hon. Akobundu led the APRM Nigeria’s Secretariat while Dr. Mandama led the NGC Members.

Others on the visit to Villa include: Ejigayhu Tefera, Research Analyst, APRM Continental Secretariat; and Dr. Ugo Beke, Member, NGC, APRM Nigeria.

The Continental Mission came to discuss with APRM National Secretariat and NGC on CSAR and preparedness of Nigeria to receive the Country Review Mission (CRM), a mandatory visit to validate the CSAR in the APRM Process.

Mrs. Adefunke Adimula, Director, APRM Department,, her colleagues, Mssrs. Charles Ibezimako, Maxwell Zacheus, Abdulrashid Giwa and Muhammad Argungu of Planning, Research and Statistics(PRS); Programme Development and Implementation (PDI); Human Resources Management (HRM); and Accounts Departments respectively were on ground at the launching.

Other members of Management and staff of AUDA-NEPAD/APRM Nigeria,, and the Media were present at the launching.

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Daughters of Dr. Charles Ononiwu, Chiamanda and Chiamaka, Launch Debut Books to Uplift Hearts Facing Life’s Struggles

Published

3 weeks ago

October 10, 2025

The Gleamer

Joel Ajayi

At just 18 and 20 years old, Chiamanda and Chiamaka Ononiwu — daughters of renowned Nigerian surgeon Dr. Charles Ononiwu — have achieved a remarkable milestone with the release of their debut inspirational books, Do Not Be Afraid and Waterfalls.

Their literary journey began six years ago, during the height of the global COVID-19 pandemic. While the world was engulfed in fear and uncertainty, the then 13- and 15-year-old sisters turned inward, using writing as an outlet to process their emotions, express their faith, and reach out to others with messages of hope and resilience.

What began as a quiet act of creativity blossomed into two powerful books that now serve as beacons of light for readers navigating life’s storms.

Eighteen-year-old Chiamanda Ononiwu is the author of Do Not Be Afraid. A passionate Electrical Engineering student , she is also a proud alumna of Intellichild TLC and Valedictorian of Great Blessings School, Class of 2022.

In her book, she addresses the emotional challenges many young people face and draws from her personal faith to offer guidance and encouragement.

Her elder sister, Chiamaka Ononiwu, 20, is a final-year medical student at Babcock University in Nigeria. She penned Waterfalls, a heartfelt and deeply spiritual work she describes as divinely inspired. Chiamaka views her writing as a calling — a mission to uplift souls and bring hope to those struggling with life’s challenges.

“Personally, I would say it all started with the idea of inclusion, inspired by real human experiences,” Chiamaka shared. “We’ve had conversations with people who’ve gone through difficult situations — including issues and those stories helped shape what I write today.”

She added, “It’s all about encouraging people to face life with faith. We began this journey during a dark time in the world, and I felt called to create something that could offer comfort and hope — not just locally, but globally.”

The official book launch and signing ceremony took place on Wednesday in Abuja, Nigeria’s capital, and was attended by family, friends, colleagues, and well-wishers. It was a celebration of creativity, faith, and youthful brilliance, as the sisters presented their work to an inspired audience.

Speaking at the event, Chiamaka emphasized the core message of her book: “Waterfalls reminds readers that God is always watching over His people. He doesn’t bring fear — He brings peace, hope, and love. I want readers to find comfort and assurance in that truth.”

For Chiamanda, her book is a message to young people who may feel overwhelmed by life’s pressures: “Do Not Be Afraid is especially for youth navigating difficult times. No matter how hard life gets, you can always find strength and direction in God’s word.”

Writing came naturally to both sisters. Chiamaka recalled, “Even as a child, I loved writing short stories for my siblings. When the opportunity came to publish, I knew it was time to share my message with a wider audience.”

Despite their demanding academic paths, both young women balanced their studies with writing through perseverance and faith.

Chiamanda and Chiamaka are united by a shared dream — to inspire people across the world with their writing.

Chiamaka expressed Further; “Our biggest hope is that these books will reach people who need to know that God is real, that He’s always with them, and that through Him, anything is possible,” Chiamaka said.

With Do Not Be Afraid and Waterfalls, the Ononiwu sisters have not only created literary works — they’ve created lifelines. Their voices, grounded in faith and driven by purpose, remind readers everywhere that even in the darkest moments, God’s light never fades.

Their father, Dr. Charles Ononiwu — a distinguished surgeon and deeply devoted parent — also spoke at the event, sharing the journey from his perspective.

“For me, my number one priority has always been to care for children — not just medically, but also by encouraging them academically and in the basics of life,” he said.

He recounted a moving moment with Chiamanda, who approached him with the idea of sharing her story publicly to inspire others.

“She came to me and said she wanted to talk to her peers, to share how she had been comforted, and to help them see that everything would be okay,” he recalled. “As a father, my role was to guide her. I support both of them, help activate their strengths, and provide direction.”

Dr. Ononiwu made the decision to fund the publication of their books himself, believing in the power of their message.

“I told them, ‘You have something the world needs. You can make an impact in the lives of others,’” he said. “I believe every child has a gift. It is our responsibility as parents not to dismiss them, but to help them discover and nurture their talents.”

He encouraged all parents to support their children’s creative pursuits, noting, “Every person has something special inside them — no one is without talent. It’s just a matter of looking inward, discovering that gift, and sharing it with the world.”

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