Tonye Cole Empowers 230,000 Youths in Rivers State

Tonye Cole

Adedayo Akinwale in Abuja

The COLE’ctive Initiative has unveiled COLE2Learn, a youth-centred education platform designed to empower 230,000 young people across Rivers State as active co-creators of education and development outcomes.

The programme is aimed at commemorating International Day of Education 2026, with the 2026 global theme, “The power of youth in co-creating education.”

The International Day of Education 2026 underscores the importance of youth-led and co-created learning systems, COLE2Learn stands as a people-powered model for empowering young people to shape a healthier, more prosperous, and secure Rivers State

The governorship candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the 2023 elections Mr. Tonye Patrick Cole, whose leadership vision inspires The COLE’ctive, said the initiative was created to reposition education as a tool for empowerment rather than passive instruction.

Cole, in a statement issued Sunday noted the COLE2Learn is structured to equip young people with the knowledge, skills, and civic confidence needed to build healthier lives, stronger livelihoods, and safer communities.

He explained that the programme targets youths across all 23 Local Government Areas of Rivers State, empowering them to apply learning directly to real-life challenges in public health, economic inclusion, climate resilience, and community security.

Cole added: “By placing young people at the centre of the learning process, COLE2Learn reframes education as a shared civic system that promotes agency, responsibility, and participation.

“Rather than duplicating classroom-based education models, COLE2Learn focuses on practical, outcome-driven learning, embedding education into everyday civic participation, enterprise development, innovation, and leadership pathways.

“The approach ensures that learning is connected to lived experience and immediate community needs.”

He added the learning framework is built around areas that directly strengthen youth self-reliance and leadership capacity, civic and democratic empowerment; health and wellbeing education; economic, financial, and enterprise skills; digital, innovation, and media literacy; environmental and climate awareness; peace, security, and community safety education.

It included gender, disability, and inclusion learning; and culture-based education that reinforces identity, unity, and shared values.

Cole stressed that delivery is achieved through community learning hubs, digital platforms, mobile media channels, and peer-to-peer civic exchanges, enabling young people to learn by doing, leading, and contributing to solutions within their communities.