Odimmegwa Johnpeter/Abuja
The Permanent Secretary of the Federal Ministry of Youth Development, Dr. Maryam Ismaila Keshinro, has been honoured with the African Trailblazer Merit Award for Strategic Public Service and Administrative Governance by the Unveiling African Parliament Writers Network (UAPWN) in recognition of her outstanding leadership, commitment to public service, and transformative contributions to youth development in Nigeria. This was contained in a statement signed by Omolara Esan, Director, Information, and Public Relations.
The award, conferred by the UAPWN—a network of journalists from the print, electronic, and digital media across six African countries—recognises distinguished public officials and institutional leaders who have demonstrated visionary leadership, policy innovation, administrative excellence, and an unwavering commitment to national development.
According to the organisers, Dr. Keshinro’s leadership has been defined by a results-driven and people-centred approach that has strengthened institutional effectiveness, advanced youth empowerment initiatives, enhanced collaboration across all levels of government, and improved public service delivery.
The organisers particularly acknowledged her strategic interventions in the reform and strengthening of the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC), including sustained advocacy for increased funding and the rehabilitation and upgrade of orientation camp infrastructure nationwide. These efforts, they noted, have significantly improved the safety, welfare, and overall experience of corps members while enhancing the operational efficiency of the Scheme.
Dr. Keshinro was also commended for promoting strategic partnerships between the Ministry, state and local governments, development partners, civil society organisations, and other key stakeholders. These collaborations have expanded access to vocational training, digital skills, entrepreneurship, and youth employability programmes, creating greater opportunities for young Nigerians to realise their full potential.
Describing her leadership style, the organisers stated that, “Dr. Keshinro combines administrative excellence with compassion and inclusiveness. Her leadership exemplifies a model of governance that is innovative, accountable, and responsive to the needs of the people, inspiring confidence among staff, stakeholders, and development partners alike.”
The African Trailblazer Merit Award forms part of the African Legislative Excellence Merit Awards, an initiative that celebrates individuals, institutions, and organisations making exceptional contributions to good governance, democratic development, and people-centred service across Africa.
As part of the recognition, Dr. Keshinro has also been invited to feature in the maiden edition of the forthcoming African Trailblazers Magazine, a pan-African publication that will showcase exemplary leaders, groundbreaking innovations, and impactful development initiatives across the continent.
The Federal Ministry of Youth Development congratulates Dr. Maryam Ismaila Keshinro on this well-deserved honour and reaffirms its commitment to promoting policies and programmes that empower Nigerian youths, strengthen public institutions, and accelerate sustainable national development.
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