Youth and Community Development Initiative

02/04/2026

When mass atrocities occur and are left to go unchecked, a society becomes desensitised and risks falling into anarchy and ruin. In that vein, our Executive Director Musbahu Mukhtar Ashu recently joined Global Rights and members of the Community of Practice Against Mass Atrocities (CoPAMA) for a two-day Advanced Training on Forensic Data Collection, Authentication, and Documentation of mass atrocities and human rights violations.

Here are four takeaways

Day 1 with Global Rights: Work was grounded in the patterns of mass atrocities in Nigeria, then dove into forensic fundamentals—authentication, chain of custody, and what makes evidence admissible. Accurate documentation starts with a solid foundation.

Participants also tackled imagery documentation, digital security, and the ethics of gathering evidence in hostile environments.

Key takeaway: protecting documenters and communities is as vital as the evidence itself.

Day 2 focused on strengthening data integrity and managing bias. Through practical exercises, participants sharpened their skills in source triangulation, cross‑verification, and using neutral, factual language. Context matters.

The training closed with community‑led documentation systems and survivor‑centered approaches—prioritizing dignity, confidentiality, and informed consent, especially for SGBV cases. Ethical documentation is a pathway to accountability and prevention.

That wrapped the two days with Global Rights. From chain of custody to survivor-centered documentation, the training reinforced one truth: rigorous, ethical forensic work is essential for accountability and justice.

20/03/2026

From all of us at YCDI...

12/03/2026

On Monday 9th and Tuesday 10th March, Our Executive Director Musbahu Mukhtar Ashu proudly joined the Hon. Commissioner and other representatives from the ministry of Youth Development, civil society, youth groups, and development partners to review the final draft of the Kaduna State Youth Policy, which will succeed the 2021–2025 edition.

Supported by the Lafiya FCDO Programme and facilitated by Civic Impact 4 Sustainable Dev't Foundation, this validation phase is crucial. It ensures that the final policy is not just a document, but a true reflection of the needs of all young people in Kaduna State—with a specific focus on disadvantaged, marginalised, and vulnerable groups, including youths with disabilities.

We are proud to contribute to a framework that promises a more inclusive future for Kaduna's youth.

08/03/2026

When we invest in a woman’s safety, we gain a community that thrives.
When we invest in a woman’s education, we gain a workforce that innovates.
When we invest in a woman’s leadership, we gain a future that is balanced and strong.

Today, let’s move beyond conversation and focus on contribution.

07/03/2026

Earlier this week, the YCDI participated in the Training on Education Actors on School Needs.

Facilitated by the Civic Impact 4 Sustainable Dev't Foundation, the objectives of the training were;
1. To strengthen the capacity of citizens and most especially local education actors in Kaduna State to effectively engage in the education budget cycle by identifying and utilising key entry points to influence education budget decisions.

2. To equip community members with practical skills to analyse, track, and monitor education budget allocations and expenditures using the Citizens Participatory Audit (CPA).

Citizens participation and engagement remain the cornerstone of effective and quality service delivery.

07/03/2026

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06/03/2026

Last week Thursday in Kaduna, represented by our CTO Aliyu Umar Ibrahim, the YCDI participated in a powerful Policy Dialogue on Nigeria’s demographic dividend, organised by the Effective Governance Research Institute.

Discussions centered around implementing the DDR policy, boosting productivity, and preparing our youth for the future.

Young people must step up and use platforms like this to influence policy and development. Real progress happens when government and citizens work together.

The future is youthful—let’s harness it.

01/03/2026

On Thursday 26th February, the YCDI, represented by our Executive Director Musbahu Mukhtar Ashu participated in the 'Improving Community Security Initiatives for Accountable Service Delivery' engagement through the SOPs harmonisation and inter-agency coordination for the Kaduna State Vigilance Service (KADVS).

Facilitated by the Kukah Centre, the SOPs harmonisation is a robust framework aimed at enhancing operational procedures, ensuring effective service delivery and inter-agency synergy between the KADVS and other security agencies.

28/02/2026

Join us at 9:30pm today for a high-impact session on the principles of responsible AI technology.

Meeting link:
https://calendar.app.google/HuHWsKnCrFqsbfro6

As technology continues to shape every sector of society, understanding the principles that guide its ethical development is essential.

Join us for an insightful session on:

AI Ethics 101: Principles for Responsible Technology

Date: Saturday, 28 February
Time: 9:30 – 10:30 pm
Platform: Google Meet
Speaker: Fareed Ibrahim - Executive Director, Smart Aid Initiative

This discussion will examine the foundational principles that guide the ethical design, development, and deployment of technology, ensuring it serves society in a transparent, sustainable, and responsible manner.

Kindly register to book your slot.
https://forms.gle/zM8f1HBtKD1fmcbj7

25/02/2026

As technology continues to shape every sector of society, understanding the principles that guide its ethical development is essential.

Join us for an insightful session on:

AI Ethics 101: Principles for Responsible Technology

Date: Saturday, 28 February
Time: 9:30 – 10:30 pm
Platform: Google Meet
Speaker: Fareed Ibrahim - Executive Director, Smart Aid Initiative

This discussion will examine the foundational principles that guide the ethical design, development, and deployment of technology, ensuring it serves society in a transparent, sustainable, and responsible manner.

Kindly register to book your slot.
https://forms.gle/zM8f1HBtKD1fmcbj7

18/02/2026

30/01/2026

COMMUNIQUE ISSUED AT THE CIVIC SPACE POLICY DIALOGUE ON HARNESSING KADUNA’S DEMOGRAPHIC DIVIDEND: MAINSTREAMING DIGITAL-GREEN TWIN TRANSITION INTO THE STATE YOUTH POLICY HELD AT KADUNA STATE UNIVERSITY (KASU), KADUNA STATE.

PREAMBLE
Recognizing that Kaduna State’s population is projected to reach 12.9 million by 2030, with over 83.8% under the age of 40 and the urgent need to harness the potential, on Monday 26th January 2026, the Civic Impact for Sustainable Development Foundation, in collaboration with the Ministry of Youth Development, Youth Advocacy Coalition on Demographic Dividends Roadmap,Institute of Budget Policy, Ihifix Technologies, Policy & Citizens Initiative, Barnseed, Procyon RTV, Youth and Community Development Initiative Kaduna, including FCDO-Lafiya and PACE Programme, convened a strategic one-day Civic Space Policy Dialogue in Kaduna, with the theme - Harnessing Kaduna’s Demographic Dividend: Mainstreaming the Digital-Green Twin Transition.

The dialogue had the objective to review the status and gaps of the current Kaduna State Youth Policy (2021-2025) in view of the digital and ecological aspirations of its youth tech and climate action stakeholders; brainstorm on strategies to integrate the demographic and Digital-Green Twin Transition into the revised State Youth Policy; and generate a technical communiqué of prioritized recommendations for the State Government towards harnessing the demographic potential of Kaduna’s youth population through tech innovation and climate action.

ATTENDANCE AND PARTICIPATION
Total attendance: 95 participants (made up of 76 males and 19 females).

The participants include the Honourable Commissioner of the Ministry of Youth Development, Tech hubs, Development Partners, Civil Society Organisations, Academia, Media, and Students.

KEY OBSERVATIONS
The Honourable Commissioner for Youth Development reaffirmed the Ministry’s "Open-Door Policy," emphasising the State Government’s commitment to fostering an enabling environment conducive to youth empowerment and sustainable development.

Stakeholders underscored the critical necessity of accurate data on startups, SMEs, and youth initiatives. This data is a prerequisite for investors and policymakers to guide development planning and de-risk investment.

The dialogue called for the rapid deployment of integrated information management systems. Private sector partners were encouraged to proactively build these digital platforms rather than relying solely on government intervention.

Discussions prioritized the modernization of Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET). Strategies focused on bridging funding gaps to integrate Artificial Intelligence (AI) and digital skills into the curriculum.

Participants identified the need to strengthen traditional vocations—such as fashion design, shoemaking, and tailoring—by integrating digital tools to enhance productivity and market access.

It was observed that the barrier to entry for digital learning is not strictly financial, given the availability of open-source and free resources. The challenge lies in awareness and access to these tools.

As digital adoption grows, participants stressed the urgency of cybersecurity awareness to protect digital spaces and combat cybercrime.

RECOMMENDATIONS
The dialogue participants hereby recommend the following for immediate integration into the Revised State Youth Policy:

Establish a State-led Digital Youth Dashboard to aggregate real-time data on startups and MSMEs for evidence-based policymaking.

Adopt a multi-stakeholder model where private tech firms co-design and co-finance digital-green platforms and innovation systems.

Modernize TVET programs by integrating AI, green skills, and advanced digital literacy to bridge the funding and skills gap.

Strengthen innovation hubs and incubators, such as the Panteka ecosystem, to provide safe, legally enabling environments for digital-green startups.

Formalize regular dialogues between the government and youth to ensure policy implementation remains participatory and transparent.

Mainstream cyber-security education across all youth programs to protect the state’s digital economy from cybercrime.

Implement hyper-local outreach using indigenous languages to ensure policy and funding information reaches underserved areas.

CALL TO ACTION
We call upon the Kaduna State Government, under the leadership of the Executive Governor, through the Ministry of Youth Development to prioritize the speedy adoption of these recommendations into the State Youth Policy. The demographic dividend is a window that will not stay open forever; the time to transition from "youth empowerment" to "youth-led economic architecture" is now.

SIGN

Yusuf Ishaku Goje
Executive Director,
Civic Impact for Sustainable Development Foundation

Luke Seth Kuyet
Chair, Planning Committee

Barr. Christopher Yange Atsen
Youth Advocacy Coalition on Demographic Dividends Roadmap

Musbahu Mukhtar Ashu
Youth and Community Development Initiative Kaduna

Faith Manasseh Joseph
Head of Rapporteur