By TYAV SAM TYAV, Makurdi –
Benue State Governor, Hyacinth Alia, has joined the United Nations (UN) Volunteer Full Funding Programme as the first African governor to participate in the programme.
The Chief Press Secretary to the Governor Tersoo Kula, in a statement noted that the Governor, has achieved a significant milestone by becoming the first Governor in Africa to subscribe to the UN Volunteer Full Funding Programme.
This groundbreaking initiative, the statement said underscored the governor’s unwavering commitment to youth empowerment and access to leadership opportunities, setting a new standard for leadership across the continent.
According to the statement, the agreement took full effect on February 14, 2024, and became financially operational on April 16, 2024 and it marked a historic moment in African governance.
Through his subscription to the UN, Volunteer programme, the statement continued, Governor Alia has demonstrated a visionary approach to governance, recognizing the pivotal role of young people in driving sustainable development.
In his comment, Leo-Angelo Viashima, the Director General of the Benue State Bureau for International Cooperation and Development (BICD) and Focal Person for the UN Volunteer project in Benue State, expressed his excitement, saying Governor Alia has redefined what empowerment and access to leadership means.
The statement emphasized that Under this programme, over 40 beneficiaries from Benue State would be selected in the first year, in line with global best practices.
Ms. Veronica Obiuwevbi, the Country Coordinator of the UN Volunteer in Nigeria in her remarks commended Governor Alia for setting the pace, stating that the UN Volunteer in Nigeria is excited about this partnership. She assured that, “We will do all we can to ensure that upon completion of the programme, beneficiaries would have gained the needed skills to be able to impact Benue state and the society in general.”
She informed that the UN Volunteers are changemakers who are contributing to peace and development with their skills and experience through volunteerism.
This programme, founded on December 7, 1970, is a programme that contributes to peace and development through volunteerism worldwide even as it is also a powerful means of engaging people in tackling development challenges, and it can transform the pace and nature of development and it benefits both the society and individual volunteer by strengthening trust, solidarity and reciprocity among citizens by purposefully creating opportunities for participation.a
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