By Faith Anisiobi, The Sight News
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 exemplary leadership, commitment to public service, and contributions to youth development in Nigeria.
The award, presented by the UAPWN—a network of journalists from print, electronic, and digital media across six African countries—recognizes outstanding public officials and institutional leaders who have demonstrated visionary leadership, policy innovation, administrative excellence, and a strong commitment to national development.
According to the organizers, Dr. Keshinro’s leadership has been marked by a results-oriented 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 organizers also highlighted her strategic interventions in reforming and strengthening the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC), particularly her sustained advocacy for increased funding and the rehabilitation and upgrade of orientation camp infrastructure nationwide. They noted that these efforts have improved the safety, welfare, and overall experience of corps members while enhancing the operational efficiency of the scheme.
Dr. Keshinro was further commended for fostering strategic partnerships between the ministry, state and local governments, development partners, civil society organizations, and other stakeholders. According to the organizers, these collaborations have expanded access to vocational training, digital skills acquisition, entrepreneurship, and youth employability programmes, creating greater opportunities for young Nigerians.
Describing her leadership, the organizers said Dr. Keshinro combines administrative excellence with compassion and inclusiveness, noting that her approach to governance is innovative, accountable, and responsive to the needs of the people while inspiring confidence among staff, stakeholders, and development partners.
The African Trailblazer Merit Award is part of the African Legislative Excellence Merit Awards, an initiative that celebrates individuals, institutions, and organizations making significant contributions to good governance, democratic development, and people-centred service across Africa.
In addition to the award, Dr. Keshinro has been invited to feature in the maiden edition of the forthcoming African Trailblazers Magazine, a pan-African publication that will spotlight exemplary leaders, groundbreaking innovations, and impactful development initiatives across the continent.
The Federal Ministry of Youth Development congratulated the Permanent Secretary on the honour, describing it as a recognition of her dedication to public service, and reaffirmed its commitment to implementing policies and programmes that empower Nigerian youths, strengthen public institutions, and promote sustainable national development.
