Uba Sani redeems pledge to Kaduna’s innovators

Governor Uba Sani fulfilled his commitment to support young innovators in Kaduna by providing a N30 million grant. This pledge was made during the 2026 International Youth Day Conference in Kaduna on September 4, but the funds were officially handed over to the beneficiaries at the Ministry of Youth Development on Wednesday. The recipients included a team of computer engineering students from Ahmadu Bello University in Zaria, who created a smart walking aid for visually impaired individuals, as well as Al-Amin Mohammed Idris and Shamsudeen Jibril, winners of the National Board for Technology Incubation's NEXTGEN Challenge.

Additionally, Fauziyya Muhammad Auwal, founder of the space technology initiative ASTHERA, and eight microchip designers who participated in the Kaduna State Human Capital Development Initiative were all supported.

Barrister Gloria Ibrahim, the Commissioner for Youth Development, emphasized that the administration's commitment to youth empowerment has shifted from promises to practical support. She explained that Governor Sani decided to provide financial assistance to these young innovators to help them advance their projects further. Ibrahim highlighted that the Ministry of Youth Development was established specifically to support young people and expected them to use these resources to expand their work and bring recognition to Kaduna State.

Even though some invited innovators were unable to present during the conference due to time constraints, Governor Sani ensured that they would also benefit from the grant. Malam Ahmed Maiyaki, the Commissioner for Information and Culture, noted that the N30 million investment reflects the administration's focus on sustained investment in youth, education, and innovation.

He stressed that the funds are an investment in the young people's ideas, research, and future, urging them to translate the support into further research, stronger innovations, and practical solutions that can compete globally.

Maiyaki pointed out that the intervention is part of a broader approach to youth and human-capital development, mentioning state support for local innovators to access international opportunities and partnerships in renewable energy and rural electrification. He also highlighted the administration's investment in educational infrastructure, such as a road project at Ahmadu Bello University, and its commitment to including young people in governance.

Maiyaki encouraged the beneficiaries to view the grants as seed support for greater accomplishments, emphasizing that Kaduna's young people have the potential to develop solutions to real problems, and the government's role is to create an enabling environment and provide support for these ideas to move from laboratories and workshops into solutions that improve lives.