The Personal Assistant to the President on Domestic Affairs (North-East) in the Office of the Vice President, Comrade Mahmud Muhammad, has led a Youth Leaders Clinic aimed at grooming secondary school prefects for leadership roles.
The clinic, organised by Ph.D. and Master’s students of the Abuja Leadership Centre, University of Abuja, held on Thursday at Borno State Hotels, Maiduguri.
Declaring the programme open, Muhammad said the initiative was designed to translate academic pursuits into meaningful social impact by nurturing leadership excellence from the grassroots.
He commended the Governor of Borno State, Prof. Babagana Umara Zulum, for his transformative efforts in the education sector, including the construction and rehabilitation of schools, provision of free uniforms and learning materials, and support for teacher training programmes.
He also lauded the Governor of Yobe State, Mai Mala Buni, for advancing education through infrastructure development, teacher capacity building, and establishment of technical colleges.
The Director of the Abuja Leadership Centre, Prof. Dahida D. Philips, said the centre was established to promote excellence in governance, leadership and policy development. He noted that the rise of technology and digital media presented both opportunities and challenges, stressing the need to equip young people with values of integrity, responsible citizenship and digital literacy.
Representing the Yobe State Government, Dr Abubakar K. Zaid highlighted scholarship and mentorship programmes that had produced young leaders from the state.
On behalf of the Borno State Deputy Governor, Commissioner for Youths and Sports, Hon. Saina Buba, welcomed the organisers and participants, stressing that youth empowerment remained central to the state government’s policies. He described the hosting of the clinic in Borno as recognition of the resilience and renewed hope of the state.
He said, “If properly guided and empowered, our youth have the potential to transform governance, strengthen democracy, and drive sustainable development. This clinic is therefore timely and relevant.”
The event featured paper presentations, mentorship sessions, goodwill messages, and certificate presentations. Prefects from public and private schools in Maiduguri, alongside youth groups and student bodies, participated in the training.
Closing the programme, Muhammad Bukar Alibe, a doctoral student in Public Governance and Leadership, urged participants to build on the knowledge gained and focus on their strengths as future leaders.
