National Security • August 2024
The Needful Now — What Was Said, Promised, and What Followed at Nigeria’s First National Police Youth Summit
Watch Full Coverage
UNESCO REF Media Centre — Available in multiple languages for our global audience
Language:
Under Update: Our Media Centre is currently being enhanced. We apologise for any inconvenience.
Latest
Amina J. Mohammed calls for global action at UNESCO REF & POWA Launch of 12 Million YWA Mobilisation Campaign
•
Mrs. Mutiat Disu, Wife of IGP, appointed as new POWA President and National Advocate for YWA
•
UNESCO REF × UAPP Educational Financial Facility MoU signed in Abuja — 250+ university partners
•
UNESCO REF Call for Volunteers 2026 — Applications Now Open
•
Bank of Agriculture Nigeria partners UNESCO REF and POWA to support YWA learners with loans
•
UNESCO REF nominates Ooni of Ife HIM Ooni Adeyeye Enitan Ogunwusi Ojaja II as Royal Father for YWA
•
Media Centre
Official News & Communications
Featured — UN Deputy Secretary-General — IWD 2025
Amina J. Mohammed Calls for Global Action at the UNESCO REF & POWA Launch of the 12 Million Young Women in Agriculture Mobilisation Campaign
A landmark convergence of global leadership, national resolve, and grassroots mobilisation at the Maryam Babangida National Centre for Women Development, Abuja — towards attainment of UN SDGs Goal 1 and 2.
Read Full Story
Top Stories
View All
Highlights
1
Agriculture & Finance
Federal Government to Broker Financial Support for 4.5 Million Nigerians Under UNESCO REF YWA Programme
2 Sep 2025
Read More
Volunteers & Engagement
UNESCO REF Call for Volunteers 2026 — Applications Now Open. Join a Distinguished Network Driving High-Impact Initiatives
Jun 2026
Apply Now
3
POWA — National Appointment
Mrs. Mutiat Oluwafunmilayo Disu, Wife of the Inspector-General of Police, Appointed as New POWA President and National Advocate for YWA
2026
Read More
4
Royal Patronage
UNESCO REF Nominates Ooni of Ife, HIM Ooni Adeyeye Enitan Ogunwusi, Ojaja II, as Royal Father for UNESCO REF Young Women in Agriculture
Jun 2024
Read More
All Latest
Full Archive
Newsroom & Articles
Education FinanceNAN • The Nation • Daily Trust
UNESCO REF × UAPP — Landmark Educational Financing Facility for Nigerians Pursuing International Higher Education. MoU Signed in Abuja. 250+ University Partners.
Pilot scheme targets Police Secondary Schools under SIP-ALPHA Category 2 and the Renewed Hope Agenda, providing structured loans, scholarships, and university placement support.
IWD 2025Tribune Online • The Sun Nigeria
12 Million Women Rising — UNESCO REF and POWA Launch the Young Women in Agriculture National Flag-Off Ceremony on International Women’s Day
UN Deputy Secretary-General Amina J. Mohammed leads calls for global action alongside federal ministers, traditional institutions, and 12 million mobilised YWA Champions.
National SecurityVOA • Pulse Nigeria • Legit.ng
“The Needful Now” — Inside the First-Ever National Police and UNESCO REF Youths Summit on International Youth Day 2024
400+ delegates, senior government officials, and security leaders converged in Abuja. President Tinubu hailed the joint initiative. Broadcast live on Channels TV.
AgribusinessTribune Online • The Authority
POWA Launches “Soil to Security” Campaign to Mobilise 12 Million Young Nigerian Women into Agribusiness — Mrs. Mutiat Disu Leads National Drive as New POWA President
Launched at POWA’s 61st Anniversary at Eko Hotel Lagos, the campaign sets an ambitious 2030 target to certify 12 million YWA Champions across all six geopolitical zones.
Royal PatronageUNESCO REF Official
UNESCO REF Nominates Ooni of Ife, HIM Ooni Adeyeye Enitan Ogunwusi, Ojaja II, as Royal Father for the UNESCO REF Young Women in Agriculture
One of Nigeria’s most revered traditional rulers lends his royal authority to the national empowerment of young women in agriculture — bridging ancestral wisdom and modern ambition.
Agri-FinanceUNESCO REF Official
Bank of Agriculture Nigeria Partners with UNESCO REF and POWA to Provide Financial Capacity (Loans) to Exceptional UNESCO REF Young Women in Agriculture Learners
StatecraftUNESCO REF Official
UNESCO REF President Holds Private Working Visit with Former Head of State General Yakubu Gowon — Discussions on NYSC Reform, Agriculture, and Youth Advancement
An exclusive account of the private working visit covering NYSC reform pathways, agricultural strategy, and the intergenerational vision for Nigeria’s youth.
Digital SkillsArden University • FE News • PR Newswire
The August Project (TAP) — UNESCO REF’s Flagship Youth Digital Skills Programme Reaches 1.2 Million Nigerian Youths
From its 2019 launch to its Sonic Foundry Global Learning Exchange integration, TAP has set the benchmark for digital skills mobilisation in Nigeria.
🇳🇬 Nigeria Today — National Media Coverage
All Press Coverage →
The Nation
UNESCO REF partners UK to provide loans for Nigerian students seeking higher education abroad
Read ArticleTribune Online
IWD: UNESCO leads campaign for 12 million young Nigerian women in agriculture
Read ArticleThe Sun Nigeria
Nigeria launches YWA initiative for 12 million young women on Women’s Day
Read ArticleChannels Television
National Police Youths Summit: The Needful Now — Broadcast Live on Channels TV
WatchTribune Online
POWA launches campaign to mobilise 12 million young women into agribusiness
Read ArticleThe Authority
Egbetokun launches ‘soil to security’ drive to empower 12m young Nigerian women
Read Article
Lead Investigation — IWD 2025
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.
Read Full InvestigationChild Rights • June 2025
UNESCO REF on Child Labour — Collective Action to End the Menace and the Out-of-School Children Syndrome
Read Full StoryStatecraft • November 2024
Bridging Generations — UNESCO REF President Meets General Yakubu Gowon on NYSC Reform and Youth Development
Read Full StoryOyo State Partnership • June 2025
UNESCO REF and POWA Drive Women in Agriculture in Oyo State — Deputy Governor Bayo Lawal Receives Delegation
Read Full StoryUNESCO REF Media Centre — Exclusive Reports
The Stories
Only We Tell
Private access. Verified sources. Exclusive first-hand accounts of UNESCO REF's most consequential moments — the conversations, decisions, and milestones that history will record.
Exclusive Titles
12
First-Hand Accounts
7
Private Briefings
4
Exclusive — Private Audience
Behind Closed Doors — The Private Audience Between UNESCO REF President and Former Head of State General Yakubu Gowon
What was said. What was planned. What it means for the future of NYSC, youth development, and agricultural strategy in Nigeria. An exclusive first-person account.
Read Exclusive01
Exclusive — Royal Audience
Inside the Palace — How HIM Ooni Adeyeye Enitan Ogunwusi, Ojaja II, Agreed to Become Royal Father for UNESCO REF Young Women in Agriculture
Read Exclusive
02
Exclusive — Policy Briefing
The MoU That Could Change Everything — An Exclusive Inside Account of the UNESCO REF × UAPP Signing Ceremony and What It Means for Nigerian Students
Read Exclusive
03
Exclusive — IWD 2025
Before the Cameras Rolled — The Private Conversations That Shaped the UNESCO REF & POWA 12 Million YWA National Launch
Read Exclusive
I
Exclusive Profile • 2026
The New Architect of POWA — An Exclusive Profile of Mrs. Mutiat Oluwafunmilayo Disu and Her Vision for 12 Million Nigerian Women
The first extensive portrait of POWA’s new president — her background, her priorities, and her plans for the Young Women in Agriculture national mandate.
Read ExclusiveII
Exclusive Interview • 2026
In His Own Words — An Exclusive Interview with Prince Abdulsalami Ladigbolu-Oranmiyan on the Past, Present, and Future of UNESCO REF
The UNESCO REF President speaks candidly on seven years of building a national institution, the partnerships that defined it, and the decade ahead.
Read ExclusiveIII
Exclusive Investigation • 2025
How Nigeria’s 774 LGAs Are Being Mapped for the YWA Programme — The Logistics Behind 12 Million Enrolments
An exclusive inside look at the operational machinery of the most ambitious women’s empowerment programme in Nigerian history.
Read Exclusive
Heritage & Tradition
All Cultural Features
Culture & Traditional Heritage
UNESCO REF — Custodians of Heritage
Where Ancestral Wisdom Meets National Ambition
UNESCO REF honours Nigeria’s deep cultural fabric — celebrating royal patronage, traditional authority, intergenerational dialogue, and the custodians of heritage who anchor our national identity and food sovereignty.
36
States Engaged
774
LGAs Reached
6
Geopolitical Zones
2
Royal Patrons
Intergenerational Dialogue
UNESCO REF President Holds Private Working Visit with Former Head of State General Yakubu Gowon — A Nation’s Continuity in Conversation
Read Story
Soil & Heritage
How Traditional Institutions Are Amplifying UNESCO REF’s Mission — Royal Councils, Village Heads, and the Grassroots Push for YWA
Read Story
Language & Cultural Identity
Farming as Identity — Nigeria’s Agricultural Heritage Across Yoruba, Hausa, Igbo and Minority Traditions
Read FeatureOral History
The Women Who Fed Empires — Reclaiming Nigeria’s Feminine Agricultural Legacy from Precolonial Era to the YWA Programme
Read FeatureOyo State Partnership
UNESCO REF and POWA Drive Women in Agriculture in Oyo State — Deputy Governor Bayo Lawal Receives Delegation
Read StoryCover Story
From the Soil, With Love — How Nigerian Women Are Feeding a Nation and Rewriting the Story of Agriculture
A portrait of 12 million young women at the heart of UNESCO REF’s agricultural revolution — their crops, their kitchens, their markets, and their dreams.
Read Full Story01
Chef Profile
Farm to Table — Nigerian Chefs Leading the New Wave of Indigenous Cuisine Rooted in Agribusiness and YWA Produce
Read Profile02
Market Voices
The Women of Nigeria’s Great Markets — From Onitsha to Kano, Fuelling Local Food Systems and National Supply Chains
Read Story03
Food Security — SDG Goal 2
Zero Hunger by 2030 — What UNESCO REF YWA Means for Nigeria’s Food Future in Practical Terms
Read on Legit.ngCulinary Heritage
Egusi, Ogbono & the Future — How Nigeria’s Indigenous Ingredients Are Going Global
Read StoryAgro-Tourism
The Farm as Destination — How UNESCO REF YWA Sites Are Pioneering Agro-Tourism Across Six Geopolitical Zones
Read StoryAgri-Finance
Seeds of Finance — How the Bank of Agriculture is Empowering UNESCO REF YWA Learners to Scale Their Food Businesses
Read StoryMedia Coverage
All Press Coverage
In the Press
International Media Coverage
UNESCO REF in global newswires, international broadcasters and world publications
Voice of America
United States — Global Broadcast
Nigeria Holds Youth Summit on National Security After Protests
August 2024
Read ArticleAllAfrica
Pan-African — Digital
Nigeria Holds Youth Summit On National Security After Protests
August 2024
Read ArticleBusiness Wire / Nasdaq
United States — Financial Wire
Sonic Foundry (NASDAQ: SOFO) Partners with UNESCO REF Nigeria
September 2022
Read ArticleFE News
United Kingdom — Education
Access to world-class online leadership learning set to mobilise 1.2m Nigerians
April 2019
Read ArticlePR Newswire / Arden University
United Kingdom — Academic
Arden University Supports UNESCO REF Initiative ‘The August Project’ in Nigeria
October 2019
Read ArticleNew Delhi Times
India — International
Nigeria holds youth summit on national security after protests
August 2024
Read ArticleArise TV
UK & Nigeria — Broadcast
Nigeria Police Revamps Training to Include Protection of Human Rights
August 2024
Watch ReportYahoo Finance
United States — Financial
Sonic Foundry’s Global Learning Exchange Announces Partnership with UNESCO REF
September 2022
Read ArticleChannelBiz UK
United Kingdom — Technology
Sonic Foundry’s Global Learning Exchange Partnership with UNESCO REF
September 2022
Read ArticleQuick News Africa
Pan-African — Digital
1.2m youths to benefit from OSSAP-SDGs TAP project — Director
December 2021
Read ArticleNigerian National Media Coverage
UNESCO REF across Nigeria’s leading newspapers, broadcast networks, and digital outlets
The Nation
Print & Digital
UNESCO REF partners UK to provide loans for Nigerian students seeking higher education abroad
Read ArticleTribune Online
Digital
IWD: UNESCO leads campaign for 12 million young Nigerian women in agriculture
Read ArticleChannels Television
National Broadcast
National Police Youths Summit: The Needful Now — Live on Channels TV
Watch on Channels TVGuardian Nigeria
Print & Digital
UNESCO REF partners unveil funding strategy to ease study-abroad costs
Read ArticleVideo & Audio
Full Archive
Multimedia
Channels TV — Live Broadcast
2:45:30
Channels TV • 12 August 2024
President Tinubu Hails Nigeria Police Force and UNESCO REF Youths Summit — Live on Channels TV
YouTube • UNESCO REF
UNESCO REF Programme Video
YouTube • UNESCO REF
UNESCO REF Feature Video
YouTube • UNESCO REF
UNESCO REF Coverage
YouTube • UNESCO REF
UNESCO REF Video
YouTube • UNESCO REF
UNESCO REF Video
YouTube • UNESCO REF
UNESCO REF Video
AIT • Live
AIT • 4 March 2025
Amina J. Mohammed — UNESCO REF & POWA YWA 12 Million Campaign Launch
TikTok — UNESCO REF
UNESCO REF on TikTok — Watch & Share Our Latest Content
Watch on TikTok →
Measurable Results
All Impact Data
Impact Stories
12M
Women Targeted
Mobilising 12 Million Young Women in Agriculture Across Nigeria
Comprehensive national programme reaching all 774 LGAs with structured training, financial support, and market linkages towards SDG Goals 1 and 2.
Explore Impact Data4.5M
Beneficiaries
Federal Government Backs UNESCO REF YWA — Financial Support Brokered
The Federal Government commits to broker financial support for 4.5 million Nigerians under the UNESCO REF Young Women in Agriculture programme.
Read Full Story250+
Universities
EFFS Opens International Study Pathways for Nigerians Through UNESCO REF × UAPP MoU
A landmark educational financing facility connecting Nigerian students to over 250 international universities through structured loans and placement support.
Read Full StorySonic Foundry Global Learning Exchange × UNESCO REF
Programme Film • Digital Skills Initiative
Sonic Foundry Global Learning Exchange Opening Video. Upload glx_opening_compressed.mp4 to WordPress and update the src above.
Perspectives
All Columns
Opinion & Leadership
Prince Abdulsalami Ladigbolu-Oranmiyan
President, UNESCO REF
The Future of Food is No Longer Buried Beneath the Soil — It is Engineered Through Knowledge, Equity, and Innovation
“How nations rise when every hand, near and far, is part of the harvest — a vision for intergenerational partnership and sustainable agricultural transformation.”
From the shores of the Atlantic to the banks of the Niger, Nigeria’s greatest untapped resource has never been oil beneath the earth — it has always been the women who work it. This column explores the strategic imperative of the UNESCO REF Young Women in Agriculture programme as a national food security instrument and a global development model.
Read Full ColumnMrs. Mutiat Oluwafunmilayo Disu
POWA President & National Advocate, YWA
Empowering Women in Agriculture: Not Just Food Security, But Dignity and National Progress
Read Column
UNESCO REF Editorial Board
Institutional Opinion