The Youth Friendly Resource Centre, Office of the Vice Chancellor, University of Nigeria Nsukka
The Youth Friendly Resource Centre (YFRC) formerly known as Youth Friendly Centre (YFC), UNEC, was a partnership initiative between University of Nigeria, Enugu Campus, Ecobank Nigeria Ltd and National Agency for the Control of AIDS (NACA) in the Presidency. The Centre (YFC) was closed down in 2012 after six years. However, with a very high level advocacy team comprising of top management of Ecobank and NACA to the Vice-Chancellor, Professor B.C. Ozumba, the Youth Friendly Centre (YFRC) was re-opened in 2015. The mandate by Vice-Chancellor for the Centre to become functional, responsive to the needs of young people and beneficial to all parties, coupled with the recent directive from the Presidency for public tertiary educational institutions to seek partnership with the private sector, necessitated the re-modelling of the Centre by the Director to what is now known as Youth Friendly Resource Centre (YFRC), which the two partners that started the initiative have willingly accepted.
The Youth Friendly Resource Centre was established at the University of Nigeria to carter for the increasing needs of students as youths within the multiple challenges to survival. The Nigerian youths are persistently disillusioned in today’s difficult socio-political and economic environment. Thus, beyond the usual opportunities available for training students academically, the Youth Resource Friendly Centre exists to provide various needs of students as youths of our time. Like other Centre and Institutes that exist within the University, the YFRC encourages a research-based approach to issues and solutions that it brings to bear on life on the campus. The objectives, which the Centre pursues include: To:
- Set up a standard Youth Friendly Resource Centre (YFRC) that will carter for the various needs of the youthful members of the University of Nigeria Community;
- Build an entry point for information and different kinds of youth friendly services in the University;
- Contribute to the overall vision and mission of the University to restore the dignity of man;
- Provide trainings on leadership, healthy lifestyles, entrepreneurship and digital skills, income generating activities and resource mobilization and conflict resolution and violence prevention;
- Promote in-and out- door games, life-transforming competitions, community services and volunteerism;
- Establish linkages and networks within the university, and with external organizations, both nationally and internationally on youth concerns and programmes
In pursuing these and other related objectives, the Youth Friendly Resource Centre adopts the main strategy of empowerment of the Head, Heart & Hands through public lecture, workshops, Symposium and other practical and academic methods. The Youth Friendly Resource Centre has the goal of ensuring that enabling environment is created for University of Nigeria students to maximally realize their creative and productive potentials, and to contribute meaningfully to the motto of the University: To restore the dignity of man. The Centre designs from time-to-time appropriate strategies and programmes to mainstream youthful concerns into academic and physical development of youths in the University and thereafter, so as to further prepare them to properly face up to the challenges thrown up by human capital needs. Education is not only about specialisation in a course of study; it is about the whole person. Although, numerous extra curricula activities and groups – religious and social – provide additional support to this aspect of our students’ life, The Youth Friendly Resource Centre ensures that these activities are speically recognised and supported at the highest management level. The Youth Friendly Resource Centre is there to provide students access to information and services which address their needs and wants, including sexual and reproductive health needs, skill acquisition needs, linkage programmes, vacation jobs, as well as other needs, such as life skills and recreational activities. It is also there to prevent disillusionment and ensure a reduced stress and depressed environment for students and other youths in the University of Nigeria.
In the past the Youth Resource Centre has carried out programmes relating to increasing the awareness on HIV/AIDS prevention, other related and relevant infections and diseases, provide HCT & Referrals, and collaborate with other stakeholders on the provision of various kinds of training for students’ officials.
In this event of June 27th 2023, the Youth Friendly Resource Centre, University of Nigeria is gravely worried by the increasing damage of illicit drug abuse on the Nigerian Youths. Substance abuse is becoming one of the major problem disorientating many of the nation’s youths. The future has become so gloomy for the generation of youths of Nigeria as many have become deviant, anomic, and devasted. This constitutes waste of critical asset to national development – human resources. There is also significant increase in crime and threat to national security. These are obviously buoyed up through drug addiction. Researchers believe that the University environment and tertiary institutions are fast becoming havens for chemical abuse and substance dependence, and are therefore a hub that could effectively be used for sensitization and mobilisation of youths against drug and substance abuse and create ambassadors against illicit drugs. The Centre has therefore planned a 2-Day National Symposium/Conference to launch sensitization and mobilisation campaign against drug abuse as well as convene experts to proffer solutions to more effective ways of dealing with drug related issues especially as it relates to prevention, rehabilitation and care.
Professor Okey Ikeanyibe
Director, Youth friendly Resource Centre
07030819757; 08161737637