Blog

The Adolescents and Young People (AYP) Innovation Hub in Fimie, Abuloma, Rivers State was officially commissioned and transitioned by the Honourable Commissioner of Health, Rivers State Ministry of Health, Dr Mrs Adaeze Oreh, Commissioner for Health, Rivers State in a ceremony celebrating youth empowerment and innovation

The event drew government officials, development partners, community leaders, and hub participants, underscoring the collective effort to foster a generation of skilled, resilient, and socially responsible young Nigerians.

Speaking at the event, the Commissioner emphasized that equipping young people with skills, confidence, and access to opportunities remains a top priority for the administration. She noted that initiatives such as this strongly align with the state’s development agenda, HIV response priorities, and the broader vision of building a resilient, skilled, and productive youth population capable of driving long-term progress.

“The establishment of this Hub is a testament to what can be achieved through strong partnerships and shared commitment. By leveraging years of experience in HIV prevention, care, and treatment to create a safe, stigma-free, and youth-friendly innovation space, this hub goes beyond skills training — it creates opportunity, restores dignity, and nurtures hope, she said”

The Hub, supported by the US Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (US-CDC) through the Institute of Human Virology Nigeria (IHVN), was conceptualized in 2018 to provide a safe and supportive space for adolescents and young people. Its mission is to equip the youth with entrepreneurial, digital, and life skills, addressing vulnerabilities such as unemployment, limited social support, and lack of access to development opportunities.

Through structured training programs, mentorship, and holistic support services, the AYP Tech Hub helps participants build confidence, develop practical skills, and transition successfully into adulthood. The commissioning signifies a renewed commitment by the Rivers State Ministry of Health and partners to invest in sustainable youth development and create avenues for social and economic empowerment.Bottom of Form

The Institute of Human Virology, Nigeria (IHVN), Chief Operating Officer/ Managing Director, Dr Charles Olalekan Mensah described the commissioning as a milestone in transforming the facility into a dynamic space for opportunity, creativity, and empowerment for youth.

“IHVN remains committed to working closely with the Rivers State Government, the US Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (US-CDC), Project Hope, and the host community to ensure the long-term sustainability and impact of the AYP Innovation Hub,” Dr. Mensah said.

As part of the commissioning, the Commissioner was taken on a guided tour of the Hub, showcasing its training facilities, vocational spaces, ICT labs, and wellness support areas, giving her firsthand insight into the programs and services available to adolescents and young people.

The International Research Center of Excellence (IRCE) at the Institute of Human Virology Nigeria (IHVN) is calling Data Managers and Analysts, Public Health Researchers, Clinicians , Monitoring and Evaluation Personnell, Postgraduate Students and Government and non-governmental organization staff to maximize the Early Bird Discount of 10% for its upcoming Public Health Data Analysis Training Course (PHDAT)

IRCE Program Manager Research, Dr. Nifarta Andrew who made this call in Abuja said that the Early Bird Discount is open till February 28th for all interested.

“This means that interested applicants can pay ₦315,000.00 instead of ₦350,000.00  for the five day certified training scheduled for 4th to 8th May, 2026,” she said. Dr. Andrew added that regular registration for the course will close on March 31st, 2026.

The Data Analyst explained that training participants will gain skills and knowledge on epidemiological Study Designs, Data Visualization Using R, Descriptive and Inferential Statistics, Correlation and Regression Analysis amongst other areas.

Check https://ihvn-irce.org/public-health-data-analysis-training-course-phdat/ for more information about the training.

In fostering an excellent work culture and staff performance, the Executive Management of the Institute of Human Virology Nigeria (IHVN) has initiated the “Employee Recognition Awards” to recognize “Employees of the Month” and “Employee of the Year.”

According to Mr Olu Alabi, the IHVN Director of Finance and Administration, this recognition encompasses overall employee performance in areas such as dress code, innovation, teamwork, productivity, efficiency, leadership, interpersonal skills, punctuality, and adherence to company values and principles, among other factors.

For December 2025, IHVN celebrates Anthony Nwokoma, Douglou Paul Samuel, Ayomide Olumefun, Victoria Olorunfemi and Jwan Panshak Dampak, whose performance stood out in their teams.

Hearty cheers to our December star performers!

The Institute of Human Virology Nigeria (IHVN) has launched a five-year project aimed at empowering 1,200 vulnerable households in Katsina and Nasarawa States by promoting sustainable agriculture, malaria prevention, and healthy nutrition practices.

At the launch which held simultaneously in the two states, project beneficiaries received livestock such as pigs, goats and chickens, along with tools, seeds and capacity building for livestock and crop farming. The households were also trained on nutrition, financial management through Village Savings and Loan Associations (VSLA) and malaria prevention activities.

According to the Project Director at IHVN, Dr. Victoria Igbinomwanhia, the Institute is collaborating with the Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security, the Ministry of Health, community-based organizations and community leaders to equip, guide and supervise the benefitting households for sustainable agricultural and health practices.

“This project builds on our years of public health project implementation and care for people infected and affected by HIV, including orphans and vulnerable children. We are currently providing HIV services in four states. We picked two out of the four states as the focus states for this project based on empirical evidence of vulnerability of the households. Some of our considerations were the poverty index, malaria and HIV prevalence. We conducted a vulnerability assessment and picked the most vulnerable homes – 400 in Katsina and 800 households in Nasarawa State.”

Dr. Igbinomwanhia added that the project aims to improve the resilience of the households.

“We will be conducting food demonstration trainings using locally available food items. Community workers will be supporting this activity from house to house after the flag-off training. The beneficiaries will also be taught soap making to support water, sanitation and hygiene practices.

The households have been categorized into three agricultural groups, 200 households for livestock farming, 400 for home gardening and 600 for community farming to grow vitamin and protein rich crops to promote healthy nutrition.”

She explained that in addition to the livestock and seeds, beneficiaries are also being given pots for planting, animal shelter, medications for livestock and fertilizer.

“In partnership with the government, we have trained community workers and will continue supervising farming activities and teaching new farming techniques for better yield.”

She said that the project is also collaborating with 13 health facilities for easy referral of malaria and severe malnutrition cases.

Community worker, Oluwayemisi Adeniji said that she has high expectations that the knowledge gained by the beneficiaries will improve the health and nutrition of all the households involved.

“We are expecting that the empowered households will share the knowledge and skills gained with their community members. Learning is a continuous process. We will be following up with them to ensure that they put their skills to practice.

Project beneficiaries, 35-year-old Marakisiyya Yusuf and 42-year-old Sulieman Mashi from Daura Local Government Area in Katsina State said that the skills gained from the kick-off training have been beneficial.

“I have learned how to use the Village Savings and Loans Association to save for the future. I will start a savings group in my community with my friends and neighbors at Tudun Wada,” Marakisiyya said.

Sulieman is also eager to start a savings group and teach is wife how to cook balanced nutritional meals with the knowledge gained from the food demonstration activity.

The project is being implemented by IHVN with funding support from BMZ/Gesundes Africa.

The International Research Centre of Excellence (IRCE) at the Institute of Human Virology Nigeria (IHVN) has opened registration for a five-day intensive Public Health Data Analysis Training course scheduled for 4th to 8th May, 2026 in Abuja.

Course participants will gain hands on capacity in R-programming and master epidemiological and statistical methods for analyzing real world public health data.

Data Managers, analysts, public health researchers, clinicians and monitoring and evaluation personnel can apply. Applications are also welcome from post-graduate students, government and ministry staff and non-governmental organization staff.

For more information, visit Public Health Data Analysis Training Course (PHDAT) – IRCE