By Chris Chikelue
The Anambra Youth Accountability Hub (AYAH) has held a 2-Day technical capacity building engagement aimed at strengthening and inculcating on the Youths of the State with Transparency, Accountability and Good governance especially in Anambra State.
The training was held at the Anambra Patriot Office, Awka on 27 and 28 October, 2026.
While declaring open the event tagged, ‘Training of Anambra Youth Accountability Fellows’, which participants were drawn from the 21 Local Government Area of the state, the Executive Director, Creative Minds Center for Youth and Community Development (CM-CYCD), Project Lead, Anambra Youth Accountability Hub (AYAH) Mrs. Ugochi Freeman said:
“Today marks an important step in our collective journey towards promoting transparency, accountability, and good governance in Anambra State. You have been selected not merely to attend a training, but to become part of a growing movement of young people who are willing to take responsibility for the future of our state.
“Through the support of the Nigeria Youth Futures Fund (NYFF) CM-CYCD is implementing this six-month initiative to strengthen youth participation in public project monitoring across Anambra State’s three senatorial zones. Our target is to equip 50 Accountability Fellows to monitor and document at least 100 public infrastructure projects”.
While discussing the choice of anchoring on the youths for the programme, Mrs. Freeman said, “we believe that when young people are informed, equipped with the right skills, and given the opportunity to participate meaningfully in governance, they can contribute to better public service delivery and more accountable institutions”.
Various facilitators from different government organisations took turns to lecture the youths/fellows on good governance, Rule of Law, Advocacy, Corrupt Practices, Objective reporting and other aspects which would lead them to recognising their limits especially while dealing and serving in public offices.
Barr. Lilian Osakwe of the state Ministry of Justice who also is the Secretary, Anambra State Anti Corruption Strategy (ANSACS) lectured the youths on the role of ANSACS and the Rule of Law and Corrupt (RoLAC) in the state government establishments.
She said RoLAC is envisioned to midwife a corrupt free egalitarian State and a first choice investment destination while anchoring on the duty of eradicating corrupt practices in all its ramifications through objective implementation and activities which would guide such implementations.
While delivering his Goodwill message to the youths on the programme, the Resident Anti-Corruption Commissioner, Independent Corrupt Practices Commission (ICPC) Anambra State, Mr. Dio Emmanuel represented by Superintendent Samson Sanni, told the Fellows that Integrity and accountability are the foundation of good governance.
He added that Corruption thrives where integrity is weak and accountability is absent while stating that as young people they were not just the leaders of tomorrow but also partners in the fight against corruption.
“ICPC’s mandate is to fight corruption through enforcement, prevention, and public enlightenment but we cannot do it alone; we need youths like you to promote transparency, monitor public projects, ask the right questions, and engage constructively and lawfully,” he said.
The Creative Minds Centre for Youth and Community Development is a youth-focused non-governmental organisation which is committed to promoting good governance and accountability, social justice and human rights, child protection and gender equality, Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH), and sustainable community development.
