From Sola Ojo, Kaduna

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The Federal government in collaboration with the Kaduna state government are currently engaging stakeholders drawn from different relevant organisations across the 23 local government areas of Kaduna ahead of the implementation of the At-Risk-Children project (ARC-P) in the state.
The Federal Government had set up ARC-PA in line with the national poverty with a growth strategy to reduce poverty, address the challenges of marginalised youth and children (age 0 months to 24 years), as well as to attain the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
ARC-P consists of seven pillars which are Basic Literacy and Numeracy, Health and Nutrition, Mental Health (including substance abuse) Entrepreneurial, Financial Literacy, and Vocational Skills, Digital Skills, Agriculture and Climate Change, Security, Sports, and Life-skills (towards Curbing violence and substance abuse, with an intervention package for
gatekeepers and caregivers to assure of their buy-in.
The project, which will be executed in Kaduna state through the Ministry of Human Services and Social Development (MHSSD) would be supported by N1bn as captured in the 2022 approved budget, an official source said.
Speaking at the opening of a two-day ARC-P Kaduna state stakeholders engagement scheduled for February 1-2 at a hotel in Kaduna, Commissioner,  MHSSD, Hafsat Mohammed-Baba, pleaded with the selected 110 stakeholders to put their expertise to work to ensure that only children who fit into the design of the project are captured.
State Lead, ARC-P, Kashim Usman said, though the project will rely on the social register and other available valid data, the selected stakeholders would help to validate those data to ensure only the right children and young persons within the aforementioned age bracket are reached out to.
If successful, ARC-P would install a sense of belonging. good values, and a passion for hard work and service in children and young adults, who felt being excluded from national planning.
Again, the sustainability or otherwise of ARC-P will depend largely on the success recorded in its first year especially as new administrations will emerge both at the federal and state levels by May 29, 2023.
However, involvement of external contributors like development partners, civil society, community-based organisations, security agencies and media will go a long way in term of continuity if the programme is proven to be effective in addressing its primary purpose which is to identify and include at-risk-children who are also out of school into the national safety net.