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FG Partners CIML, Mind the Gap Television to Drive Youth Innovation and Media Engagement

Published

7 months ago

March 12, 2026

Joel Ajayi

The Federal Ministry of Youth Development has signed separate Memoranda of Understanding (MoUs) with the Chartered Institute of Management and Leadership (CIML) and Mind the Gap Television to promote youth innovation and strengthen youth-focused media engagement across Nigeria.

The MoU with CIML is aimed at implementing the Youth Innovate Naija Initiative, a programme designed to unlock the innovative potential of Nigerian youth and support them in becoming entrepreneurs, innovators, and leaders.

The Ministry also signed a separate MoU with Mind the Gap Television to produce and promote a youth-focused YouTube television programme titled “The Youths Are Here,” which will provide a digital platform to showcase youth voices, ideas, and development initiatives across the country.

Speaking at the signing ceremony held at the Ministry’s headquarters in Abuja, the Permanent Secretary, Dr. (Mrs.) Maryam Keshinro, who represented the Honourable Minister of Youth Development, Comrade Ayodele Olawande, described the initiatives as strategic platforms designed to harness the creativity and energy of Nigerian youth while connecting them with opportunities for enterprise development and national growth.

In his address ,the Honourable Minister noted that Nigeria is endowed with one of the largest youth populations in the world, presenting the country with a unique opportunity to drive innovation-led development. He stated that across universities, polytechnics, research institutions, and communities, young Nigerians are generating remarkable ideas and conducting valuable research capable of addressing real-life challenges. He however noted that many of these ideas often remain underfunded, uncommercialized, or disconnected from platforms that can transform them into viable enterprises.

According to the Minister, the Youth Innovate Naija Initiative was conceived to bridge this gap by providing a national platform where young Nigerians—both students and non-students can present innovative ideas, develop prototypes, receive mentorship, and connect with investors and industry leaders.

He further stated that the programme will focus on key sectors critical to Nigeria’s development, including agriculture and food security, renewable energy, digital technology, healthcare innovation, smart infrastructure, and the creative economy.

Comrade Olawande
emphasized that the partnership between the Ministry and its collaborators is both timely and strategic, noting that the organisations bring valuable expertise, institutional credibility, and media visibility that will strengthen the implementation and outreach of the initiatives.

He added that beyond the competition aspect of the programme, the initiative is designed to create sustainable impact by encouraging the emergence of youth-led start-ups, promoting the commercialization of research, strengthening innovation ecosystems within educational institutions, and attracting private sector investment as well as international partnerships.

The Honourable Minister noted that the signing of the MoUs marks the beginning of a transformative journey that reflects the Ministry’s commitment to moving beyond policy discussions to concrete actions that empower Nigerian youth to realize their full potential.

In his remarks, the Chairman, Board of Trustees of CIML Nigeria, Dr. Steve Longe, described the Youth Innovate Naija Initiative as a pioneering programme designed to bring together Nigerian youth from diverse backgrounds, educational levels, and regions under a single national platform that promotes innovation, enterprise development, and collaborative growth.
He noted that the programme will provide an inclusive opportunity for young Nigerians in both the formal and non-formal education sectors to contribute to national development through creativity, knowledge development, and entrepreneurship.

Also speaking, the representative of Mind the Gap Community and Youth Development Foundation, Mr. Tayo Olosunde, emphasized the importance of effective digital communication in ensuring that government development initiatives reach and positively impact young Nigerians across the country through platforms such as the YouTube programme “The Youths Are Here.”

The initiatives are expected to serve as catalysts for youth-driven innovation, entrepreneurship, and national engagement while promoting sustainable economic growth.

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

Published

1 day ago

October 2, 2026

The Gleamer

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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