Index to Nigerian Newspapers

The Federal Government has launched the Safe Nigeria Initiative, a youth-focused programme aimed at empowering 11,000 young people as part of efforts to address insecurity across the country.The initiative, also known as Youth Empowerment for Peace and Resilience, was launched on Tuesday in Abuja by the National Security Adviser, Nuhu Ribadu, and is being coordinated by the National Counter Terrorism Centre in collaboration with the Office of the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Reduction.Speaking at the event, Ribadu, who was represented by the National Coordinator of the NCTC, Maj. Gen. Adamu Laka, said the programme was designed to complement Nigeria’s counterterrorism and security operations by addressing the underlying social and economic factors that contribute to insecurity.Shittu said state governments were ready to support implementation of the programme through community engagement and coordination, describing youth empowerment as not just a social policy priority but a national security imperative requiring a whole-of-government and whole-of-society approach.The initiative comes amid persistent security challenges across the country, including insurgency, banditry and kidnapping, which authorities have linked to youth unemployment, poverty and social exclusion, prompting a shift towards preventive and people-centred security responses.