By Maduabuchi Nmeribeh/Dutse
Jigawa state Governor, Malam Umar Namadi has splashed scholarship fund to youths in the state in his bid to enhance education and self-reliance.
He pledged his administration’s determination to continue to invest in the future of youths in Jigawa state.
Governor Namadi restated his administration’s commitment to investing in the future of Jigawa youth through targeted and inclusive educational support.
The governor gave this assurance during the official unveiling of the 2025 Special Students’ Scholarship Program under the Danmodi Students’ Care Initiative, held at the Banquet Hall, Government House, Dutse.
In his keynote address, Governor Namadi emphasized the centrality of youth empowerment to the 12-Point Agenda of his administration, particularly Goal No. 6: “Investing in People.”
“This is borne out of our conviction in the inherent potentials and ability of our youth to develop and positively contribute to the progress and development of our society and as agents of societal transformation,” the governor said.
Highlighting the administration’s deliberate policies, the governor stated: “We are very conscious of the fact that our population is part of our strength and our youth are part of our treasures; we must take deliberate policies to nurture and develop these assets to make them productive and avoid making them a liability to society.”
The scholarship intervention include: Special Undergraduate Scholarship for 400 deserving students from 12 educationally disadvantaged LGAs – covering full tuition and academic expenses; Intervention Support for 150 Master’s students and 50 PhD students.
Professional Development Support for 50 students pursuing certifications with ICAN and ANAN; women for Health Program, which supports 151 female students from underserved LGAs in health training institutions until graduation.
The governor expressed his admiration for the youth, saying: “Our youths are our pride… I therefore urge all of you to imbibe the strong spirits of resilience, patience, and dedication required to be successful in life.”
He also underlined the broader strategy of the state in youth development beyond education, citing technological empowerment.
“Not long ago, about 1,000 of our youth were trained on artificial intelligence tagging and blockchain technology under an ICT outsourcing initiative in partnership with GLUWA. We are also collaborating with NITDA to train thousands of our youth in various aspects of information and communication technology,” he added.
Earlier, the Senior Special Assistant on Students’ Affairs, Muhammad Salisu Seeker, while addressing the gathering, paid glowing tribute to Governor Namadi’s visionary leadership.
“We have witnessed incredible achievements in education, especially for the students, in less than two years: a 100% increase in state scholarship allowances, the renovation and upgrading of schools, the recruitment of over 7,000 teachers, and the sponsorship of Jigawa State students to international institutions, such as those in Cyprus,” he said.
He further noted that the Danmodi Students’ Care Initiative has become a household name across all 27 local government areas, detailing interventions such as the distribution of 33,000 JAMB pins in two years, the EDU-KEKE program for students with disabilities, the distribution of school uniforms and educational materials, infrastructure projects in schools, and outreach efforts including the NELFUND sensitization that has supported over 7,000 students.
Reflecting on the scholarship selection, the Senior Special Assistant disclosed: “These students were carefully selected from over 15,000 JAMB candidates supported in 2024. Nearly 5,000 students have gained admission through this committee, thanks to their efforts. Out of these, 400 are selected to benefit from this full scholarship support.”