A student political mobilisation group in Jigawa State has inaugurated campus ambassadors across tertiary institutions to rally support for the re-election of President Bola Tinubu and Governor Umar Namadi in 2027.
The initiative, organised by the Jigawa State Chapter of JAGABA/DANMODI Students’ Mandate 2027, is aimed at building a student-based mobilisation network to promote the achievements of the two administrations, particularly in education, skills acquisition and youth empowerment.
The convener of the group, Comrade Abdullahi Abdu Boyi, disclosed this in a statement issued after the inauguration, describing the initiative as a platform for engaging students and creating awareness about government policies and programmes.
Boyi said the group’s endorsement of Tinubu and Namadi was based on what it described as measurable interventions in the education sector at both federal and state levels.
Among the federal government’s initiatives highlighted by the group was the Nigerian Education Loan Fund (NELFUND), which it said had provided financial assistance to more than 1.6 million students, with over N322 billion reportedly disbursed across participating institutions.
The group also cited the Federal Government’s Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) programme, designed to equip more than one million young Nigerians with vocational skills through 1,600 centres, offering free tuition, monthly stipends and starter packs in areas such as electrical installation, welding and digital technology.
It further credited the Tinubu administration with resolving what it described as a 16-year crisis in the university system through an agreement with the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), alongside improved remuneration, research funding and working conditions for university personnel.
Boyi said: “We are here to launch a movement that will engage students on the successes recorded in education. The Campus Ambassadors will take this message to campuses, engage fellow students and ensure that young people are properly informed about the interventions affecting their education and future.
“We are also aware that TETFund Infrastructure Project have been approved across higher institutions nationwide while billions of naira in grants awarded for research projects in tertiary institutions have been approved.”
At the state level, the group praised Namadi’s administration for its investments in basic, secondary and tertiary education, as well as programmes aimed at improving youth employment and empowerment.
It said more than 17,000 teachers had received training under the Jigawa UNITES programme, while the state government had employed 2,177 graduates and recruited 149 first-class graduates into tertiary institutions.
The group also highlighted the state’s budgetary commitment to education, noting that Jigawa allocated 32 per cent of its budget to the sector in 2024 and 26 per cent in 2026.
According to Boyi, the state government also declared a state of emergency in education to tackle learning deficiencies and improve standards across schools.
He said the administration had introduced free education for girls from primary to PhD level in state-owned institutions, while implementing the Adolescent Girls Initiative for Learning and Empowerment (AGILE) programme and other mass literacy initiatives.
On teacher recruitment, the group said the Namadi administration increased the teaching workforce from 2,566 to 5,986 to address shortages in public schools.
It added that the J-TEACH initiative facilitated the recruitment of 7,000 personnel, with 3,000 subsequently absorbed as permanent staff. The government also recruited an additional 3,000 teachers and 4,200 personnel for senior secondary schools.
In the area of school infrastructure, the group said more than 3,000 classrooms, 500 boreholes and 1,200 toilets had been provided across the state to improve the learning environment and access to essential facilities.
It also cited the construction of three mega boarding Tsangaya schools, each with a capacity of 1,500 pupils, bringing their combined accommodation capacity to 4,500.
The initiative, according to the group, is part of a wider intervention targeting 12,000 Almajirai through improved access to educational facilities.
It further said the state distributed uniforms to 11,000 nomadic pupils and 3,800 Almajiri pupils, while providing 300 bicycles and wheelchairs to students with disabilities as part of efforts to promote inclusive education.
The group also identified the establishment of eight TVET centres of excellence, in addition to seven existing technical schools, as part of the state’s efforts to expand vocational training and equip young people with employable skills.
Other interventions highlighted included the provision of internet connectivity to all 293 senior secondary schools to facilitate digital learning and research, as well as the distribution of 3,500 double beds and 3,840 mattresses to boarding schools.
On scholarships and financial assistance, the group said the state government spent N8.1 billion in 2025 to support nearly 35,000 students, while making provision for N10 billion in its 2026 budget for scholarship programmes, including support for lecturers.
It also disclosed that N1.5 billion was provided as bursaries to 22,388 students studying in 83 institutions to ease their educational expenses.
The group further noted that the state government sponsored 193 students to study in Cyprus under a programme valued at N892 million, with beneficiaries expected to return and serve the state after completing their studies.
It also cited the introduction of the DanModi Students Care special scholarship scheme in 2025 as another intervention aimed at improving access to education.
In the tertiary education sector, the group commended the administration’s support for the development of the Faculty of Medicine and student hostel facilities at Sule Lamido University.
It also pointed to allocations of N700 million to Jigawa State Polytechnic, Dutse, and N900 million to the College of Education, Gumel, in the 2026 budget for institutional development.
Beyond education, the group said the Namadi administration had empowered more than 500,000 youths, women and traders within three years, alongside an additional N1 billion in grants and loans to support small businesses.
It also highlighted the sponsorship of 500 students for training in artificial intelligence and emerging technologies in partnership with the World Bank, under a programme valued at more than N100 million.
The newly inaugurated ambassadors are expected to lead grassroots mobilisation, engage fellow students and promote awareness of education-related programmes implemented by the Federal and Jigawa State governments.
The convener said: “We cannot afford to return to a past where young people were denied opportunities, schools lacked basic facilities and students struggled to access quality education. The JAGABA/DANMODI STUDENTS’ MANDATE 2027 is committed to ensuring that the voices of Jigawa students are heard and their interests protected.”
He added: “The future of Jigawa depends significantly on the quality of education available to its young people. Our responsibility as students and young citizens is to understand what is being done, engage constructively and make our voices heard. The JAGABA/DANMODI STUDENTS’ MANDATE 2027 is committed to ensuring that the interests and aspirations of Jigawa students remain at the centre of our mobilisation.”
The event ended with an appeal to students across Jigawa State to support the Tinubu-Namadi ticket in the 2027 general elections, while the newly inaugurated ambassadors pledged to mobilise young people across tertiary institutions in support of the campaign.
