China donates N9.6m to support African youth development programme

To mark the 45th anniversary of the bilateral ties between China and Nigeria, the Chinese government is set to support Nigeria with N9.6 million on Leadership, Effectiveness, Accountability, Professionalism (LEAP) training programme.

Qin Jian, Charge d’Affairs of the Embassy of Peoples Republic of China in Nigeria, disclosed this on Tuesday at the opening of the Training of Trainers Workshop organised by LEAP Youth Development Training Programme held in Abuja.

According to Qin, the financial support was aimed at strengthening the Nigeria-China relationship which has existed for 45 years.

“This year marks the 45th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic ties between China and Nigeria, through the joint effort of our two sides, the mutual trust between our two countries has enhanced economic ties to forge closer and mutual understanding between two people deepened further.”

The support which is through the  Embassy of the People’s Republic of China is in collaboration with The Secondary Education Board and Education Resource Centre to equip young Nigerians with leadership, social, employability and money management skills across the Federal Capital Territory.

According to the Programme Coordinator at LEAP Africa, the piloting iLEAD programmer would be piloted in six public secondary schools within the FCT.

The iLEAD supports teachers who are being trained will be developing and enhancing students leadership ability and capacity beyond basic education to live impactful lives.

“This is a multi-pronged programme that invariably strengthens school teachers and guidance counsellors in their roles to serve as leadership mentors,” Asukwo said.

The iLEAD curriculum, Asukwo noted encompasses leadership development, life skills development, money management, employability and ethics,  which are all designed to promote youth civic engagement and bridge the gap between education and the workplace.

“Through the iLEAD programme we hope to help young people develop the skills, experience, and networks they need to succeed, lead, and be agents of change in their communities. The programme will also expose the teachers to effective facilitation methods that can be used to improve their classroom delivery,” he says.

The programme is to be delivered in one academic calendar from September 2016 – August 2017 where LEAP will provide instructional guidance for teachers and learning materials for participating students.

He stressed that the LEAP Africa programme, supports the education sector reforms for teacher education and professional development with its innovative curriculum implementation that will engender forward thinking, decisive young Nigerians who will demonstrate the essence of leadership.

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