By BONIFACE AKARAH

The World Organization of the Scout Movement (WOSM) Africa Region has commenced a dual-track capacity-building programme for leaders of the Scout Association of Nigeria (TSAN) in Abuja, focusing on safeguarding young members and strengthening the movement’s public communication strategy.

The programme, organised in partnership with TSAN, combines a Safe from Harm (SfH) institutional assessment with a strategic communications workshop aimed at improving youth protection standards and increasing public awareness of modern scouting activities, according to a statement by Blessing Ihotu Ogwuche, TSAN Communications.

According to the statement, the safeguarding component is assessing the association’s structures, policies and reporting mechanisms to ensure compliance with WOSM’s global standards on child protection and youth safety.

“The focus centres on identifying structural gaps, evaluating current youth protection policies, and strengthening case-management and reporting channels,” the statement said.

It explained that the assessment aligns with WOSM’s global requirement that safeguarding remains a fundamental condition for membership of National Scout Organisations.

The communications workshop, running simultaneously with the safeguarding exercise, is designed to improve how scouting activities are documented and presented to the public through mainstream and digital media.

Participants are receiving training on storytelling, digital communication and media engagement to better showcase the organisation’s community development initiatives, humanitarian interventions and youth leadership programmes.

According to the organisers, the workshop also seeks to address misconceptions about scouting by presenting it as a modern non-formal educational movement while equipping communication officers with digital tools for effective content creation.

“The primary goals of the communication track include clearing misconceptions, driving visibility and packaging the scouting story effectively to attract new youth members, volunteer adult leaders and strategic corporate partners,” the statement added.

The organisers said the initiative reflects efforts by WOSM Africa and the Scout Association of Nigeria to strengthen both the organisation’s internal safeguarding systems and its external public engagement as the training continues in Abuja.