Nyanya Youth Support Center lying idle — Investigation

Nyanya Youth Support Centre in Abuja is lying idle in spite of claims by officials that it is active, an investigation by the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reveals.

The centre, opened in February 2013 as Patience Jonathan Youth Friendship Centre, has remained inactive save for its use as a recreational facility, residents around the centre said.

Meanwhile, Mr Bert Anulunko, Director Youth Department, Social Development Centre, FCT, said youth support centres in the territory had trained no fewer than 3,000 youths on different skills.

However, Anulunko told NAN that the last time training was conducted at the Nyanya centre was in December 2016 when 30 youths were trained for three months on Information and Communication Technology (ICT).

He said the centre had facilities for training on vocations, such as welding and metal fabrication, leather works, electrical works, ICT and carpentry.

Anulunko said the facilities were functional and that since 2013, training had taken place, especially on ICT, computer literacy and graphic designs.

He said the centre was equipped with printing facilities although operations had not commenced due to the lack of personnel to man the machines.

“The FCT Administration is still in the process of engaging operators to man these machines, that is what we are waiting for.

“We are thinking of inviting printing organisations who have the capacity to manage and operate these kinds of equipment to come in and discuss with the administration to see how they can assist.

“Pending when we have our own in-house operators our procurement unit will still be discussing how to go about the issue,’’ he said.

The director said the centre generated revenue for the FCT as the multipurpose hall and classrooms in the centre were sometimes rented by interested organisations to run their programmes.

He said the centre suffered some damage from tremors during the 2014 Nyanya bomb attacks, adding that the damage had been assessed and renovation would commence soon.

Anulunko said in partnership with Sure-P, FCT Administration trained 860 youths as auto mechanics and on various aspects of construction in 2014.

“Leatherworks has essentially been done in camps, the most recent ones took place at the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) where a number of people were trained in shoe and bag making,’’ he said.

However, residents near the Nyanya Centre claimed that they had no idea what the facility was used for except that it was a recreation centre, especially for sporting activities.

A student, Deborah Nibe said she did not know anyone who trained at the centre.

“I do not think the place is well managed, I feel it has the facilities but there are many things that are damaged and in need of repairs,’’ Nibe said.

A tailoring apprentice, Wisdom Odunze, said he only knew that the centre was used for playing football and basketball.

“The facilities in the centre are a basketball court, a football pitch, a volleyball court and hostels for people to stay,

I don’t know about other facilities for training youths in the centre,’’ Odunze said.

A student, Paul Iwu said he knew the centre as Patience Jonathan Centre and a recreational facility.

Iwu said he was among those trained in the centre on the repair of phones during the Sure-P era but that the facility had remained dormant.

Another student, Emmanuel Timothy, said most youths in the area did not know that the centre existed for training on different entrepreneurial skills.

“I have not seen any facility in the centre for training youths except the football pitch and basketball court,’’ Timothy said

A graphic designer, Jude Aderinto, said he had lived in the area for more than 23 years but that people did not know the facility as a training centre.

“I don’t know anyone that has been trained from the centre, I don’t even believe that training go on there except for sports.

“I don’t think the place is properly taken care of, the buildings are no longer looking good and the hostels are in bad shape,” Aderinto said.

A visit to the centre showed that the classrooms appeared unused for a long time as the seats had been covered by dust.

The hostels and toilet facilities are dilapidated, while the buildings housing the equipment remained locked.