U.S. Gov’t Exchange Alumni Train 40 Yobe Youths in Advocacy, Accountability

  

The United States Government Exchange Alumni Association,Yobe State Chapter (USGEAA-Yobe),with support from the U.S. Embassy in Nigeria,has recently trained over 40 youths to promote governance and accountability.  

The three-day program, themed "Empowering Youth for Social Accountability and Advocacy,"featured hybrid sessions in Damaturu and Potiskum,equipping participants with skills to drive change in their communities.It began with a virtual Zoom session outlining its objectives.  

Mandela Washington Fellows Abdullahi Abdulfattah and Ahmed Abubakar shared leadership lessons from their U.S. exchange programs,while Muhammad Muhammad demonstrated how civic tech tools can enhance government transparency.  

The USGEAA-Yobe’s Program Coordinator and a facilitator,Baba Abdullahi Machina explained,"This training is more than a program it’s a movement to transform youths from critics into active change makers." 

Barrister Maimuna Giwa,in her remarks, urged attendees to leverage their voices,while Saeed Abubakar stressed community driven problem solving.  

Zanna Samaila presented a case study on the Citizen-Led Tracking project, implemented by the Spotlight for Transparency and Accountability Initiative.