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‘I Am Passionate About The Youth’ – Jamila Bio Ibrahim

Published

2 years ago

November 1, 2023

Joel Ajayi

The Honourable Minister of Youth Development Dr. Jamila Bio Ibrahim has assured the Nigerian youth of her passion and dedication to champion their affairs.

The Minister gave the assurance while granting audience to a delegation of senior officials of the Nigerian Youth Parliament, (NYP), who was led on a courtesy visit to her by their Speaker, Rt. Honourable Azeezat Yishawu,

The Minister, who praised the speaker for her stewardship of the parliament, gave the assurance that she would look into the challenges of the NYP and provide the necessary support.

She said. ” I have watched from a distance and seen how she is steering the ship of the Nigeria Youth Parliament and she has done well, it is my hope and desire to see that you evolve into bigger responsibilities and take on bigger roles”.

“This is your Ministry, this is your home. I have taken note of all your challenges, requests and of course, all the good work that the Parliament has done, which is very impressive and the Ministry will take all necessary steps to address the challenges”. She added.

Dr. Ibrahim promised to study the report on the National Youth Security Summit, adding that she is very passionate about women and youth. She said, “When it comes to youth and women, this is my passion, especially supporting them because I see myself in them.”

She attributed the success of Honourable Yishawu partly to the support she enjoyed from the male members of the Parliament and called for the need to give women more space to exhibit their leadership qualities.

In her address, the Speaker of the Parliament, Honourable Azeezat Yishawu disclosed that they were in the Ministry to assure the Minister that the Nigerian Youth are behind her and ready to provide all the necessary support to help her succeed. Yishawu noted that the responsibility of the Minister is huge as she is responsible for about half of the population of the country.

She told the Minister that the youth Parliament had also come to avail her with a comprehensive report on the research it had carried out on about twenty states across the country which will be helpful in policy formulation and program implementation that will greatly impact positively on the Youth.

She disclosed that the Nigerian Youth Parliament under her leadership had carried out some activities such as the National Youth Security Summit that was held last year to examine how young people can participate in keeping the peace in the Country, research on drug abuse due to the sudden increase in cases of drug abuse and social vises by young people and issues relating to Youth Employment.

The NYP complained that it was short of funds and that it had impeded the execution of many of its programs.

The Director Network and Social Mobilization Department of the Ministry, Hajia Amina Daura informed the Minister that the Nigerian Youth Parliament was inaugurated on the 28th of August, 2008 by the former President, late Alhaji Umar Musa Yar’adua, GCFR.

She added that the current session, which is the fifth, was inaugurated on the 9th of December, 2021. and has a non-renewable term of two years.

The director disclosed that the NYP serves as a training ground for preparing young people for leadership roles and gives them the opportunity to make inputs in decisions and matters that affect them.

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Fatimah Olukoju’s AFN Board Seat Challenged Over Eligibility Concerns

Published

2 hours ago

June 9, 2025

The Gleamer

By Joel Ajayi

A petition has been submitted to the Athletics Federation of Nigeria (AFN), the National Association of Women in Sports (NAWIS), and the National Sports Commission (NSC) challenging the eligibility of former Nigerian sprinter Fatimah Yusuf Olukoju to contest for the position of NAWIS Representative on the AFN board.

The petition, reportedly authored by Dr. Nneka Anibeze, Olukoju’s sole opponent in the just-concluded elections, alleges that Olukoju does not meet the criteria set forth by the association’s statutes and should have been disqualified from the contest.

In the election held on Monday at the Moshood Abiola National Stadium in Abuja, Olukoju emerged victorious, securing 30 votes out of 45, while Anibeze garnered 15.

Speaking after the election, Dr. Anibeze expressed dissatisfaction with the process, citing irregularities, including the disqualification of some contestants and delegates.

“Prior to the election, I raised concerns over several irregularities in the voting process,” she said. “Before Maria Wohfi was disqualified, I pointed to Article 7.0 of the AFN guidelines and 5.0 of the National Sports Commission’s guidelines, which state that even if you’re not living in Nigeria, you must provide evidence of residency in the country for at least six months prior to the election.”

According to her, these concerns were ignored by the NAWIS leadership.

“Last night, I told them I would file a protest, and they tried to dissuade me. But I’m not someone who causes trouble—I just wanted a fair process. So I submitted my protest letter and sent it to the Electoral Petition Committee. I also copied the AFN, NAWIS, and the Director-General of the NSC.”

She further alleged that several of her delegates from Gombe, Niger, and Bayelsa states were disqualified without valid reasons.

“They were simply told they weren’t eligible to vote. The ones who did vote are those they couldn’t disqualify because of their standing. But I’ve submitted my protest. My main concern is that she [Olukoju] was not eligible to contest in the first place. I trust the authorities will do justice.”

In response, NAWIS President Mariam Sulieman described the election as free and fair and urged all members to support the winner in advancing the goals of women and girls in sports.

Reacting to the petition, Sulieman stated that the Electoral Committee had not yet officially received any formal complaint. However, the Secretary of the AFN confirmed that a petition had indeed been submitted.

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