The Kaduna State Chapter of JAGABA/UBA Students’ Mandate 2027, has unveiled campus ambassadors to mobilise students across tertiary institutions in support of President Bola Tinubu and Governor Uba Sani ahead of the 2027 general elections.
The group said its support for the two leaders was informed by what it described as significant investments in education, skills development and youth empowerment by the Federal and Kaduna State governments.
Speaking at the launch, Convener Comrade Munzali Abubakar, described the Campus Ambassadors initiative as a strategic platform to mobilise Kaduna’s student population for the re-election of President Tinubu and Governor Uba Sani.
He said the initiative would establish an organised network across tertiary institutions to educate students on government policies, programmes and interventions in the education sector.
Abubakar said: “We are launching a movement to engage students on education sector achievements. Campus Ambassadors will take this message to campuses, engage their peers and inform young people about interventions affecting their education and future.”
According to him, President Tinubu’s educational achievements are a major reason for its support. The group said the interest-free NELFUND Student Loan Scheme has expanded access to tertiary education, benefiting over 1.6 million students, with more than ₦322 billion disbursed across institutions.
He added that the federal government’s TVET/Skills Investment targets training over one million youths across 1,600 centres, offering free tuition, monthly stipends and starter packs in trades such as electrical work, welding and digital skills.
He noted that the Tinubu administration reached an agreement with ASUU, ending a 16-year university crisis and improving salaries, research funding and staff working conditions.
He also applauded Governor Uba Sani for what it described as significant investments in basic, secondary and tertiary education, alongside initiatives aimed at empowering young people across the State.
He noted that the state devoted 25 per cent of its budget to education in 2024, raising the allocation to 26.14 per cent in 2025. The administration has equally intensified investments in school infrastructure, with projects spread across the state’s three senatorial zones.
Abubakar added, “TETFund infrastructure projects have also been approved for higher institutions nationwide, while billions of naira in research grants have been awarded to tertiary institutions.
“Since assuming office in May 2023, the administration has constructed 62 secondary schools, comprising 39 junior and 23 senior schools, while approving the construction of 50 additional schools. It has also delivered more than 2,326 new classrooms and renovated another 707 across the state.
“The government launched the $62.8 million Reaching Out-of-School Children (ROOSC) project in collaboration with the Kuwait Fund and other development partners in a bid to address the challenge of out-of-school children. The initiative is expected to provide 102 climate-resilient schools and rehabilitate 170 learning centres across the state’s 23 Local Government Areas.”
He further highlighted the administration’s investment of over ₦1 billion in scholarships, student loans and other educational support programmes designed to ease the financial burden on students and expand access to learning opportunities.
On teachers’ development, it said 33,137 teachers, head teachers and school support officers had benefited from the Teacher Professional Development programme, covering contemporary teaching methods, computer literacy and classroom management.
“The government also introduced the maiden SUBEB Best Teacher Award to recognise excellence in teaching. Outstanding teachers selected from the state’s 23 LGAs received certificates and ₦500,000 each, while the overall winner was rewarded with an additional ₦500,000.
“Beyond formal education, the group noted that the administration had established three Vocational and Technology Skills Acquisition Cities, strategically located across the state’s three senatorial zones, as part of efforts to equip young people with practical and employable skills.
“The centres are projected to train 12,000 youths in their first year of operation and increase the number to 24,000 by the second year. Training will cover 13 vocational areas, including welding, solar panel installation, fashion design and aluminium fabrication. Participants are also expected to obtain National Skills Qualification Framework (NSQF) certification through a partnership with the National Board for Technical Education (NBTE),” he said.
The group also cited the ongoing transformation of Kaduna’s Panteka Market into an industrial and vocational skills development hub. The market, which accommodates more than 38,000 artisans engaged in trades such as welding, carpentry and masonry, is undergoing infrastructure improvements that include road networks, ICT facilities, a clinic and a fire station. The initiative will also provide artisans with opportunities to obtain NSQF certification.
The group also said the Kaduna Youth Economic Empowerment Programme (K-YEEP) had supported more than 6,000 startups in less than two years, while the Kaduna TechHUBs were providing young people with training in emerging and high-demand fields, including Artificial Intelligence (AI), cybersecurity and robotics.
He also commended the AREWA LADIES-4-TECH initiative, implemented in partnership with Data Science Nigeria and Google.org, which has equipped 5,100 women with information and communication technology (ICT) skills.
The group further noted that career fairs organised in collaboration with Jobberman and the Mastercard Foundation had facilitated connections between job seekers and prospective employers, resulting in more than 300 confirmed job placements.
He added that the inauguration of the Kaduna State Skills Development Council had provided an additional institutional framework for coordinating and providing strategic direction for skills development programmes across the state.
The newly inaugurated Campus Ambassadors were charged with driving grassroots mobilisation and engaging students on education policies, programmes and interventions implemented by both the federal and Kaduna State governments.
”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. JAGABA/UBA STUDENTS’ MANDATE 2027 is committed to ensuring that the voices of Kaduna students are heard and their interests protected,” the Convener stated.
”The future of Kaduna depends significantly on the quality of education available to its young people. Our responsibility as students and young citizens is to understand these interventions, engage constructively and make our voices heard. JAGABA/UBA STUDENTS’ MANDATE 2027 will ensure that the interests and aspirations of Kaduna students remain at the heart of our mobilisation.” he added.
