FCT WOMEN AFFAIRS SECRETARIAT TAKES OVER ADOLESCENTS’ TECHNOLOGY HUB TO ENSURE SUSTAINABILITY
By: Josie Mudasiru and Felicia Kemi Adeyemi.
The Federal Capital Territory Administration has taken over the Adolescents and Young People (AYP) Technology Incubation Hub from the Institute of Human Virology Nigeria (IHVN).
This is in a move to sustain digital skills training, life skills development, and health education for vulnerable adolescents and young people across the Territory.
Speaking during a formal handover ceremony held on Tuesday, September 29, 2026, the Permanent Secretary, Hajia Asmau Mukhtar, Esq., said the Administration under the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Barrister Nyesom Wike, has demonstrated clear passion for women, the vulnerable, and adolescents.
“Adolescence is a very sensitive stage in the lives of our children. It is a period where parents, guardians, institutions and society should be in one accord to ensure that our children become better versions of themselves as adults.”
The occasion marked the formal receipt of the assets of the FCT Adolescents and Young People (AYP) Technology Incubation Hub by the Women Affairs Secretariat.
The specialised innovation space was established to equip vulnerable youth with digital and life skills while integrating critical public health and HIV prevention education.
Mukhtar Esq. noted that staff of the Secretariat had earlier visited the facility and were impressed by the neatness and order of the centre.
She expressed the Administration’s readiness to continue running the Hub as a centre of excellence, stressing the need for clear understanding of responsibilities and deliberate planning for sustainability.
“We are glad that you are willing to stay with us for some time to help us continue running the centre as a centre of excellence. The FCT Administration is interested in the entire manpower capacity building for the entire FCT,” she said.
She also recalled that the FCT is the only place in Nigeria with a day set aside specifically for adolescent girls.
Speaking on behalf of the Hub, Helen Omuh, Director of Prevention, Care, and Treatment at the Institute of Human Virology Nigeria (IHVN), explained that the transition was driven by the need for sustainability.
She noted that while the project had trained and graduated about 75 individuals, including approximately 50 adolescents who completed their programmes and began six-month support periods, donor funding had timelines that could not guarantee permanent operations.
She emphasised that government ownership would ensure the assets are properly maintained and that the skills development, health education, and community support components continue to benefit young people and their families.
With the formal handover now completed, the FCT Women Affairs Secretariat is expected to integrate the AYP Technology Incubation Hub fully into its programmes, strengthening opportunities for digital skills, life skills, HIV prevention education, and social support for adolescents and young people across the Federal Capital Territory.
The AYP Hub was officially launched and unveiled on 9th October 2024. It was established and funded by the United States Government through the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (U.S. CDC) and the President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR). The facility was built and managed by the Institute of Human Virology Nigeria (IHVN).
The transfer of assets and operational ownership is part of a standard sustainability process. By moving responsibility from an international donor-funded implementing partner to a government ministry, the Hub is positioned for continuous government funding, stronger public health integration, and long-term structural stability.
The Women Affairs Secretariat coordinates with the IHVN team to oversee the facility and expand its reach to vulnerable children and their caregivers across the Territory.
