UNESCO REF Media Centre: Official News, Reports and Multimedia
The official news and communications hub of the Read and Earn Federation for UNESCO (UNESCO REF), Abuja, Federal Republic of Nigeria. Registered serial publication EISSN 3156-5557, issued by the National Library of Nigeria. Covering youth empowerment, the 12 Million Young Women in Agriculture (YWA) programme, the Educational Financial Facility Scheme (EFFS), The VOICE Initiative, the SIP-ALPHA framework, education, health, culture and Nigeria’s progress on the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals.
Highlights
Les Faits Marquants
Official Notices
Avis Officiels
- UNICAF Partners UNESCO REF on Educational Financial Facility Scheme, Blanket Scholarship of 86% for Undergraduate, Masters & PhD Under SIP-ALPHA Category 2.15B2. A landmark partnership between UNICAF and UNESCO REF opens the door to world-class international higher education for Nigerians under the SIP-ALPHA Category 2.15B2 framework. Applications now being received.
- Osun State Government Partners UNESCO REF on The VOICE Initiative. The Government of the State of Osun joins UNESCO REF as a partner on The VOICE Initiative, towards the attainment of United Nations Sustainable Development Goal 10 in Nigeria.
- NAOWA National President Dr. Safiyyah Hassan Shaibu Accepts Appointment as UNESCO REF Strategic Ambassador for SIP-ALPHA. The 25th National President of the Nigerian Army Officers’ Wives Association has formally accepted her appointment, strengthening collaboration on youth, women and the UN Global Goals through the UNESCO REF SIP-ALPHA Framework.
- UNESCO REF Officially Unveils SIP-ALPHA, the Strategic Intervention Programme for Accelerated Learning and Productive Human Asset. A fifteen-pillar national development framework spanning health, agriculture, education, security, digital technology and more, aligned with all 17 UN SDGs, Africa’s Agenda 2063 and the Renewed Hope Agenda.
- UNESCO REF Launches The VOICE Initiative in Commemoration of Nigeria’s Independence, Advancing SDG Goal 10. Launched on 1 October 2026, The VOICE Initiative is a Professional Advancement Programme for Women with Disabilities in Nigeria and Africa. Osun State is the first pilot state, with 120 women already mobilised.
- The Maryam Babangida National Centre for Women Development (NCWD) Is Now Officially Designated as the National Secretariat for the UNESCO REF Young Women in Agriculture Programme. A historic institutional anchor for the 12 million YWA mobilisation. The NCWD, Abuja, under the Federal Ministry of Women Affairs, will host the coordinating Secretariat for nationwide enrolment, certification, and value-chain operations.
- UNESCO REF Call for Volunteers 2026, Join a Distinguished Network of High-Impact Change-Makers Shaping Nigeria’s Future
- UNESCO REF Calls for Institutional Partners, Universities, NGOs, Development Agencies and Corporate Institutions Invited to Scale the YWA Mission Nationally
- The UNESCO REF Educational Financial Facility Scheme Application Now Open
- Young Women in Agriculture (YWA) Enrolment Drive 2026, 12 Million Women Needed Across All 774 LGAs of the Federation
- London School of Management (LSM) Partners UNESCO REF on Young Women in Agriculture to Certify Learners on Hydroponics and Agro-Kenaf Enterprise
The REF Review
Revue d’études, de politiques et de pratiques du développement
- The REF Review: Journal of Development Studies, Policy and Practice. ISSN 3156-4119. Volume 1, Number 1 (2026). Double-blind peer review, published twice yearly from Abuja, open access.
- The 12 Million Mandate: Sovereign Institutional Multiplicity, SDG Alignment and the Political Economy of Women’s Agricultural Empowerment in Nigeria. A double-blind, peer-reviewed journal of development studies, policy and practice, published twice yearly from Abuja and open access at no cost to authors or readers.
The Dispatch
La Dépêche
- National Advocate Dr. (Mrs.) Elizabeth Egbetokun Strengthens Strategic Partnership with Bauchi State Government and Governor Senator Bala Abdulkadir Mohammed on Young Women in Agriculture. Dr. (Mrs.) Elizabeth Egbetokun, National Advocate for UNESCO REF Young Women in Agriculture, holds a working visit to Governor Senator Bala Abdulkadir Mohammed to formalise mobilisation, capacity building and economic empowerment of young…
- Prof. Hafsat Ganduje: “Women Are the Backbone of Our Nation’s Food System”, A Clarion Call for the 12 Million Young Women in Agriculture. Speaking as a strong advocate for women’s empowerment at the UNESCO REF & POWA national flag-off, Prof. Ganduje framed the 12 million mobilisation as a covenant of dignity, opportunity and security for families, calling on every state,…
- UNESCO REF President Pays Working Visit to DCP Muyiwa Adejobi, Force Public Relations Officer of the Nigeria Police Force, during the End Bad Governance Protests to Finalise the First-Ever UNESCO REF Nigeria Police Youths Summit, Enhancing Cordial Relations Between the Force and Nigerian Youth. A defining engagement during the End Bad Governance protests, anchoring the institutional partnership between UNESCO REF and the Nigeria Police Force ahead of the historic First-Ever UNESCO REF Nigeria Police Youths Summit, which restored…
- “The Needful Now”: Inside the First-Ever UNESCO REF Nigeria Police Youths Summit on International Youth Day 2024. 400+ delegates and senior government officials converged in Abuja. President Tinubu hailed the joint initiative. Broadcast live on Channels TV.
- POWA Launches “Soil to Security” Campaign: Dr. Mrs. Elizabeth Egbetokun Leads Mobilisation Drive at POWA’s 61st Anniversary, Eko Hotel & Suites, Lagos. Dr. Mrs. Elizabeth Egbetokun, Immediate Past POWA President and Pioneer National Advocate for YWA, leads a landmark national mobilisation of 12 million young women in agriculture at the Eko Hotel & Suites, Lagos. Ambitious 2030 target to…
- UNESCO REF Partners United Kingdom Global University Application Portal to Enhance UN Goals 4 and 8. Pilot scheme targets Police Secondary Schools under SIP-ALPHA Category 2 and the Renewed Hope Agenda, providing structured loans and international university placement support.
- Bank of Agriculture Nigeria Partners with UNESCO REF and POWA to Provide Loans for Outstanding Young Women in Agriculture Learners
- Westminster Moment: H.E. Princess Dr. Adejoke Orelope-Adefulire Graces the Launch of UNESCO REF’s TAP at the UK House of Commons
- America Joins the Mission: Sonic Foundry and the United States Partner UNESCO REF on a Global SDGs Scheme, Placing Nigeria at the Centre of the International Effort to Meet SDGs. A landmark cross-Atlantic partnership integrating Sonic Foundry's Global Learning Exchange platform with UNESCO REF's TAP, scaling tech-enabled youth skills mobilisation across developing countries.
- ABE Partners UNESCO REF to Develop a World-Class Youth Development and Entrepreneurship Programme, Officially Launched at the United Kingdom House of Commons, Westminster. A landmark transnational partnership between the Association of Business Executives (ABE UK) and UNESCO REF, formally launched in the historic chambers of Westminster, equips Nigerian youth with internationally accredited qualifications in…
- UNESCO REF President Pays Working Visit to Dr. Lateef Olaguju, Secretary-General of the Nigerian National Commission for UNESCO, on the Enhanced Institutional Mandate for SDGs Attainment in Nigeria. A historic institutional engagement between UNESCO REF and the Nigerian National Commission for UNESCO, deepening the coordinated national framework for Nigeria’s Sustainable Development Goals commitments and reinforcing the institutional…
- UNESCO REF President and Dr. Mrs. Egbetokun Pay Working Visit to Honourable Minister for Women Affairs: Finalising Modalities for Food Security Through Young Women in Agriculture
- UNESCO REF and POWA Drive Women in Agriculture in Oyo State: Deputy Governor Bayo Lawal Receives Delegation in Ibadan
- UNESCO REF National Advocate Dr. Egbetokun and Delegation Pay Working Visit to Osun State Governor H.E. Senator Ademola Jackson Adeleke on Young Women in Agriculture
- Seeds of Policy, The Private Audience Between UNESCO REF President Prince Abdulsalami Ladigbolu-Oranmiyan and Former PDP National Chairman & Minister of Agriculture Chief Audu Ogbeh on Nigeria’s Food Security and Youth Development Agenda
- In Memoriam: UNESCO REF Pays Working Visit to Chief (Mrs.) Alaba Lawson, Late Iyalode Generalissimo of Yorubaland, on Women Empowerment and the UNESCO REF Young Women in Agriculture
In the Press
Dans la Presse
- Nigeria Holds Youth Summit on National Security After Protests, Voice of America
- Sonic Foundry’s Global Learning Exchange Announces Partnership with UNESCO REF, Yahoo Finance
- Sonic Foundry (NASDAQ: SOFO) Partners with UNESCO REF Nigeria, Business Wire / Nasdaq
- Access to world-class online leadership learning set to mobilise 1.2m Nigerians, FE News
- Sonic Foundry’s Global Learning Exchange Partnership with UNESCO REF, ChannelBiz UK
- Nigeria holds youth summit on national security after protests, New Delhi Times
- UNESCO REF on Child Labour: Collective Action to End the Menace and the Out-of-School Children Syndrome, Tribune Online · The Nation
- Arden University Supports UNESCO REF Initiative ‘The August Project’ in Nigeria, PR Newswire / Arden University
- Nigeria Police Revamps Training to Include Protection of Human Rights, Arise TV
- Nigeria Holds Youth Summit On National Security After Protests, AllAfrica
- 1.2m youths to benefit from OSSAP-SDGs TAP project, Director, Quick News Africa
- IWD: UNESCO REF, POWA Unveil 12 Million Young Women in Agriculture Campaign, Apex News Exclusive
- Towards a Functional, Skills-Oriented Education System, The Guardian Nigeria
- UNESCO REF partners UK to provide loans for Nigerian students seeking higher education abroad, The Nation
- IWD: UNESCO leads campaign for 12 million young Nigerian women in agriculture, Tribune Online
- UNESCO Launches UK-backed Education Loan Scheme for Nigerians, Daily Trust
- UNESCO REF Nigeria Police Youths Summit: The Needful Now, Live on Channels TV, Channels Television
- Nigeria launches YWA initiative for 12 million young women on Women’s Day, The Sun Nigeria
In-Depth Research Investigation and Special Report
Enquêtes Approfondies et Rapports Spéciaux
- The Gathering at Maryam Babangida House: A Nation Mobilised for Its Women. How the UN Deputy Secretary-General, federal ministers, traditional rulers, and 12 million ordinary women converged on a single national mandate, and what comes next for Nigeria’s food future.
- The Needful Now, What Was Said, Promised, and What Followed at the First UNESCO REF Nigeria Police Youths Summit
- Opening Borders, How UNESCO REF EFFS Plans to Send Nigerians to 250+ Universities Abroad
- 12 Million Reasons, Why Nigeria Is Betting Its Food Future on Young Women in Agriculture
- The August Project at Seven, TAP’s Journey from Pilot to 1.2 Million Nigerian Youths Reached
Exclusive Reports
Les Histoires Que Nous Seuls Racontons
Flavours and Voices
Saveurs et Voix
- From the Soil, With Love, How Nigerian Women Are Feeding a Nation and Rewriting the Story of Agriculture. Hilda Effiong Bassey, known to the world as Hilda Baci, spent 93 hours and 11 minutes cooking without stop in May 2023, breaking the Guinness World Record for the longest individual cooking marathon and putting Nigerian cuisine on the…
- Farm to Table, Nigerian Chefs Leading the New Wave of Indigenous Cuisine Rooted in Agribusiness and Home-Grown Produce. Tiyan Alile changed the landscape of professional cooking in Nigeria when she founded Culinary Academy in 2012, the country’s first formal culinary school. A former lawyer who followed her passion into the kitchen, she has spent decades…
- Zero Hunger by 2030, What UNESCO REF YWA Means for Nigeria’s Food Future in Practical Terms. Behind the SDG language is an arithmetic problem: how does a nation of over 200 million feed itself by 2030? UNESCO REF’s answer runs through the hands of twelve million women, structured training, guaranteed off-take, and a value chain…
- The Farm as Destination, How UNESCO REF YWA Sites Are Pioneering Agro-Tourism Across Six Geopolitical Zones. Across six geopolitical zones, YWA training sites are becoming something nobody quite planned for: destinations in their own right. Visitors now travel to walk the hydroponic rows, taste produce harvested that same morning, and watch,…
- Egusi, Ogbono & the Future. Long before it was a delicacy, egusi was a strategy, a way of turning the melon seed, the garden pepper, and the leafy green into a complete meal for a family that could not afford to waste any part of the harvest. That resourcefulness…
Culture, Tradition and Heritage
Culture, Tradition et Patrimoine
Multimedia
Multimédia
Photo Essays
À Travers l'Objectif
- Westminster Mornings, Photographs From the ABE × UNESCO REF Programme Launch at the UK House of Commons
- Faces of the 12 Million, Portrait Series of YWA Champions From Lagos to Maiduguri
- Behind the Visit, Photographs From the President’s Working Engagements With State and Royal Institutions
- The Vertical Farms, Inside Nigeria’s First UNESCO REF YWA Hydroponics Demonstration Sites
- The Royal Seal, Documenting the Ooni of Ife’s Investiture as Royal Father for YWA Champions
- Soil to Security, A Visual Journey Through the YWA Training Camps Across Six Geopolitical Zones
The UNESCO REF Podcast
Le Podcast de l'UNESCO REF
- Twelve Million Women, One National Mandate, Inside the YWA Mobilisation Campaign with Prince Abdulsalami Ladigbolu-Oranmiyan and Mrs. Mutiat Disu. In the premiere of The UNESCO REF Podcast, the President of UNESCO REF and the new National Advocate for Young Women in Agriculture sit down for the most extensive on-record conversation about how Nigeria intends to deliver on the most…
- A Working Visit to Westminster, The ABE × UNESCO REF Launch and What it Means for Nigerian Youth Credentials Globally
- Inside the Institutional Mandate, A Conversation with Dr. Lateef Olaguju on Nigeria’s SDG Architecture
- The 86% Question, Inside the UNESCO REF × UNICAF Educational Financial Facility Scheme
The Read and Earn Literacy Centre
Le Centre d'Alphabétisation Read & Earn
- Revitalizing Adult and Youth Literacy Efforts in Nigeria. UNESCO REF’s Read and Earn Literacy Centre served as implementation partner alongside the Federal Ministry of Education Nigeria, UNESCO Headquarters, and the Nigerian National Commission for UNESCO. National programme implementation,…
- UNESCO to Procter & Gamble Literacy Initiative. Targeting 60,000 illiterate or poorly educated girls and young women in Rivers State and Abuja. UNESCO REF was nominated to the National Committee to develop Nigeria’s implementation framework, training 850 facilitators, designing…
- Global Partnership for Education to World Bank Nigeria Education Project. Nigeria received one of the largest education grants in its history. UNESCO REF’s Read and Earn Literacy Centre was selected to the National Committee, contributing institutional expertise on early grade reading, teacher training, girls’…
Impact Stories
Récits d'Impact
Opinion and Leadership
Opinion et Leadership
Health, Humanity and Africa
Santé, Humanité et Afrique
- UNESCO REF and ACPN Partner to Strengthen Community Pharmacy Networks Across Nigeria as the Frontline of Universal Health Coverage. For many Nigerians, the community pharmacy is the first and nearest point of care. In partnership with the Association of Community Pharmacists of Nigeria (ACPN), and drawing on WHO guidance on pharmacy practice, UNESCO REF is working to…
- Nigeria’s Community Pharmacies, The Overlooked Frontline for Universal Health Coverage: How the UNESCO REF and ACPN Partnership Is Working to Strengthen the Network
- Child Nutrition in Nigeria: Why Investment in Agricultural Nutrition Value Chains Matters, With Resources From UNICEF Nigeria
- The Food-Health Nexus: How Women in Agriculture Can Drive Nutritional Security and Health Outcomes, With Resources From FAO Nigeria
- The Road to UHC in Nigeria, UNESCO REF’s Advocacy Position on Universal Health Coverage and Its Links to Food Security, Education, and Youth Empowerment. How UNESCO REF’s programmes connect to Nigeria’s Universal Health Coverage goals under WHO guidance and SDG Goal 3.
- Young Women, Mental Health, and Agriculture: The Case for Psychosocial Wellbeing Alongside Agricultural Empowerment. UNESCO REF advocates for mental health awareness and psychosocial support to sit alongside agricultural empowerment, in line with WHO guidance for young people.
- Nutrition as National Security: The Link Between Women in Agriculture and Nutritional Health Outcomes, Drawing on WFP and FAO Research. Malnutrition carries a heavy economic and human cost. Women farmers equipped through the YWA programme can become frontline agents of nutritional change.
- Reproductive Health and Family Planning as a Pillar of Productivity: The Case for Integrated Programming, With Resources From UNFPA Nigeria. Reproductive health and agricultural empowerment are inseparable. UNESCO REF advocates for integrated programming across both sectors.
- Climate Change, Health, and Agriculture: The Triple Crisis of Environmental Degradation, Food Insecurity, and Public Health, and What UNEP and WHO Guidance Means for Nigeria. UNESCO REF aligns its YWA programme with climate-resilient agricultural practices that reduce exposure to climate-driven health risks.
- Health Financing in Nigeria: Why Prioritised, Coordinated Public-Private Investment Matters, With Resources From the World Bank. UNESCO REF supports advocacy for prioritised health financing as a prerequisite for sustainable youth and women’s development programmes.
Global Signal Tower
Tour du Signal Mondial
Live headlines from UN News across Africa, education and culture, health, women, development, climate and peace and security, with a directory of the principal organs and specialised agencies of the United Nations and the 17 Sustainable Development Goals.
Art and Style; Science, Climate and Environment
Curated reading lists of headlines from the world’s leading culture, science and climate publishers, each linking to the original publication.
UNESCO REF Programmes
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