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Plateau Youth, Influencers Champion Peace at Interfaith Dialogue

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Youth CARE Interfaith Peace Dialogue4

Jos, Plateau State – Young people, influencers, and community leaders gathered on Friday, 29th August, for “Beyond the Divide: Plateau Echoes for Unity”, a dialogue convened by Search for Common Ground under the Youth Collective Action for Religious Engagement (Youth CARE) Project. The program aimed at bridging faith divides both online and offline while strengthening interfaith harmony.

Speaking at the event, Kaura Joshua, Project Officer of Youth CARE, underscored the importance of broadening perspectives on religion. “There are over 4,200 religions in the world, yet many only know of Christianity and Islam. The more we understand this, the more we can respect diversity and embrace peace,” he said.

Blessing Dodo, Team Lead for Plateau Micro-influencers, warned that misinformation and biased content often fuel division online, stressing the need for fact-checking before sharing. She said the dialogue was meant to strengthen respect, tolerance, and responsible engagement both on social media and in communities.

In a keynote address on “Unity as Everyday Practice”, Kenneth Dakop, Team Lead on Strategic Communication at the Plateau State Peace Building Agency, urged youths to treat unity as a daily practice. He cautioned against messages of religious superiority. He called for conflict-sensitivity training for religious leaders and urged youths to use education, empowerment, and commerce as practical tools for building peace. stressing that “peace requires respect for all faiths, including African traditional religions. Freedom of religion must go hand in hand with tolerance and responsibility,” he added. 

Also speaking, Godwin Okoko, Head of Programme Implementation at Search for Common Ground, reminded participants that while religion is often used to mask conflict, the real drivers are ethnicity, land, and history. He challenged youths to use their voices to promote unity instead of division.

The panel session featured Salis Mohammad Abdulsalam, Stephen Zuma Jang, Ada Ohaba, and Hamza Yakubu, who shared experiences on fostering tolerance and peaceful coexistence through social media and grassroots engagement.

Participants committed to taking the message back to their communities. Assumpta Chidera emphasized showing love rather than mere tolerance, while Ibrahim Aliyu Ibni-Salihu said peace is essential for development. Others, including Nentok Israel Mallah and Maryam Ibrahim, pledged to practice and promote interfaith understanding in their daily lives.

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Nigerian Teenage Stars Raheem Salaudeen, Fawas Adeleke Spark UK Scholarship Interest After Stunning Trial

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Two promising Nigerian midfielders, Raheem Moyinoluwa Salaudeen and Fawas Ayomide Adeleke, have attracted significant attention in the United Kingdom after impressing during a football trial, with both youngsters now being considered for scholarship opportunities that could combine their football development with further education.

The teenage midfielders, who are products of Buruj Sports Academy, caught the attention of the technical team with their performances during the trial, opening the door to what could become a major step forward in their young careers.

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Following their impressive showing, Anthony Williams MSC, Director of UK Football Trials, approached the players over a potential scholarship opportunity, with discussions now ongoing with their management representatives.

The proposed scholarships would give the two youngsters an opportunity to continue their football development in the United Kingdom while also pursuing further education, providing a pathway that could prove crucial to their ambitions of becoming professional footballers.

Salaudeen, born on May 13, 2010, has already built an impressive international résumé despite his young age.

The midfielder represented Nigeria at U-15 level during a two-legged international friendly against Morocco in 2024 before featuring for the country at the All African School Games in Algeria in 2025.

His performances subsequently earned him a call-up to the Nigeria U-17 set-up for a four-nation international invitation tournament in China in 2026.

Salaudeen has also gained experience beyond youth international football, having featured in Nigeria’s Nationwide League One, giving him an opportunity to compete against older and more experienced players.

Adeleke, born on April 20, 2011, has followed a similarly impressive path.

The young midfielder represented Nigeria at U-15 level against Morocco in 2024 and was also part of the Nigerian team at the African Schools Football Championship in 2025.

Like Salaudeen, Adeleke has already stepped into senior football through appearances in the Nationwide League One despite still being a teenager.

That combination of youth international experience and exposure to senior football has now helped place both players firmly on the radar in the United Kingdom.

Their latest trial has therefore become more than just another opportunity to showcase their ability.

It could potentially open the door to a new football and educational environment where they can continue developing their technical and tactical qualities while preparing academically for their future.

Both players have completed their secondary education in Nigeria and are now looking ahead to the possibility of beginning the next chapter of their lives in the United Kingdom.

For Salaudeen and Adeleke, the opportunity comes at a crucial stage in their development, with both youngsters determined to take full advantage of the interest generated by their performances.

Their journey from representing Nigeria at youth international level, to gaining valuable senior experience in the NLO, and now attracting scholarship interest in the United Kingdom, underlines the progress made by the two Buruj Sports Academy products.

With discussions over the proposed scholarships continuing, the young Nigerians now have an opportunity that could take their careers to another level.

And if they can build on the promise that attracted attention during their UK trial, Salaudeen and Adeleke could be taking their first major steps towards turning their dream of professional football into reality.

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AXA Mansard Health Takes World Hepatitis Day Campaign to Bariga with Free Screenings and Community Relief

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PRESS RELEASE—As part of efforts to promote preventive healthcare and early detection of diseases, AXA Mansard Health has taken its hepatitis awareness campaign to Bariga, Lagos, providing residents with free screening, health education and support services.
The initiative, organised to commemorate World Hepatitis Day 2026, reflects the health management organisation’s continued focus on improving access to preventive healthcare, particularly in communities where routine screening and health information may be limited.
Residents who participated in the outreach received free hepatitis screening and were educated on prevention, diagnosis and the importance of seeking timely medical attention.
The programme also extended beyond medical intervention, with relief packages distributed to vulnerable families in the community as part of efforts to provide immediate support to beneficiaries.
According to AXA Mansard Health, taking health education and screening directly to communities is critical to closing gaps in awareness and access to preventive services.
The initiative underscores the growing importance of preventive healthcare in Nigeria, where delayed diagnosis and limited access to routine screening can worsen the health and financial consequences of treatable diseases.
For insurers and health maintenance organisations (HMOs), greater emphasis on prevention and early detection could also help reduce long-term healthcare costs by encouraging timely intervention before illnesses become more severe.
The Bariga outreach therefore highlights a broader shift in healthcare delivery towards awareness, screening and early intervention rather than treatment after diseases have advanced.
AXA Mansard Health said it would continue to support initiatives that equip Nigerians with the knowledge and resources needed to make informed decisions about their health.
The organisation stressed that sustained public education and improved access to screening are essential to preventing hepatitis from progressing into serious and potentially life-threatening conditions.
The campaign also demonstrates the role of private-sector, early detection and preventive care.

The post AXA Mansard Health Takes World Hepatitis Day Campaign to Bariga with Free Screenings and Community Relief appeared first on Business Today NG.

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