 Mr. Olawale Adu, the chair, board of trustees of the International Award for Young People. Thank you very much for the kind invitation to join you this evening at the Gold Award Presentation ceremony of the International Award for Young People in Nigeria. The International Award for Young People in Nigeria, as we've heard, is the Nigerian version of the Duke of Edinburgh's award. In the last 60 years, the award, I'm told, has impacted more than one million young people and galvanized more than 180,000 adult volunteers all over the world, including mobilizing young people to respond to the disruptive impact of the COVID-19 pandemic across the globe. The award is a long-running initiative of His Royal Highness Prince Philip, the Duke of Edinburgh, of Blessed Memory. His Highness has been described as one who lived a life of service to his nation, to the Commonwealth, and to the world at large. His personal values of service above self shine through the conception and execution of this program, and we in Nigeria remember him with great fondness, his sense of humor, his common touch, and his kindness to learn about other peoples and cultures remain ever green in our memories of him. The Duke visited Nigeria four times, clearly demonstrating how important Nigeria has been or was to him and to his several programs and several interventions even in the area of conservation. Pride ceremony is an occasion for recognizing the achievements of young people who have completed the gold standard of the Duke of Edinburgh's International Award, and it also provides an opportunity not only to showcase the resourcefulness of young Nigerians, but to also honor the values that the Duke represented in his lifetime. The achievements that have been celebrated today of young people are of young people who despite challenges imposed on them, and we've heard from a few of them, have also challenged themselves to make a big difference to themselves and to their communities. The recipients have learned how to be responsible to their society and their communities by participating in various voluntary activities, including community environmental sanitation, promoting awareness on climate change, advocacy on mental health and drug abuse issues, especially amongst young people. As part of their award activities, a recipient, Musab Mwazu, I'm told was engaged in educating out-of-school al-Majiri children, inspiring them to seek education and helping them to learn to read and write. Another recipient, Odupo Emmanuel, having lost one of his friends to suicide, was involved in promoting advocacy against suicide and promoting mental health awareness amongst young people through organizing workshops, symposia, and various advocacy programs. I'm told that the group also learned to develop self-confidence, perseverance, a spirit of adventure and teamwork, as embarked on several adventurous journeys. I'm told that some went to Kahashi Village, hiking through the Marian Hills in Dutse and journeying to the Kubua train station, while navigating themselves using a compass and a map. As part of the requirements for achieving the Gold Award, they undertook shared purposeful experiences with people who are not their usual companions in a residential setting. They undertook their residential projects in various locations, including engaging in wildlife conservation at the National Children's Park here in Abuja. Athletics training, I'm told, at sports camps, leadership training at various youth events, volunteering at various orphanages and hospitals, a recipient, Faith Wins Iwu, for her Gold Residential Project, volunteered at the Renezoma Hospital in Enugu State, and I think we've heard about that, having observed that the hospital was experiencing a shortage of staff, she resided in the hospital for a month, volunteering as a health worker and support staff to the hospital. Seeing you all today is a reminder of the many achievements of young people across Nigeria. Daily, we have Nigerians in our armed forces, living behind family and friends to serve our country in various internal security operations across the country. We've seen how young Nigerians rallied in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic and designed various technology solutions to support the government. We've seen young Nigerians break new ground and earn global acclaim in innovation, in technology, in sports, in the arts and entertainment. So it's clear to us that our young people are our most valuable assets and the federal government believes that they must be encouraged and supported in every way. Which is why we're currently raising about $500 million to support technology and creativity. The project is led by the African Development Bank, which has already committed $170 million to the enterprise and this will be supported by the federal government of Nigeria, the Islamic Development Bank and the French Development Agency. Last year, Mr. President launched the Nigeria Jubilee Fellowship Program. This is a program supported by the UNDP and the European Union and many people in the private sector. It will run for five years and it will give well-paid work experience opportunities to 20,000 young Nigerians every year in select private sector and public sector organizations. The idea is that these interns will gain relevant career and life skills that will enable them transition seamlessly into the professional business or public sector while also earning good pay during the period of their internship. I hope that many of you, Gold Award winners, will participate in that program and will be a part of that program and experience all of the benefits of the program. Currently the International Award for Young People is working, I'm told, with the Lagos State Ministry of Education and the FCT Ministry of Education to incorporate the award into the public school curriculum. This is one of the ways of ensuring sustainability and also to achieve the right scale for inculcating the values of the award into many Nigerians from a young age. So let me again congratulate the awardees for their outstanding achievements. We're all extremely proud of you, well done indeed, but I'm especially mentioned for commendation, the teachers, the volunteers, the instructors, the award leaders whose selfless commitment to the success of these young people is a priceless part of their achievement. Thank you for your service. Let me also commend the proud parents of the awardees. You certainly ought to be exceptionally proud that of millions of young Nigerian children, yours are amongst the 44 Gold Award winners. Congratulations also. Finally, let me commend the trustees of the International Awards for Young People in Nigeria, the board chairman, Mr. Olawale Edo, Mr. Sambo Abduraman and Mr. Oshoke Bello, the national director. We appreciate the efforts as you've made to sustain this initiative in Nigeria and we look forward, certainly look forward to working with you next year and in the years to come. Thank you all very much for listening, God bless you.