In a society where many vulnerable families struggle to pay medical bills, keep children in school, or raise capital for small businesses, a Gombe philanthropist is using his personal resources to intervene where help is needed. Engr. Aliyu Mohammed, a trained Electrical Engineer and player in the Nigerian real estate market, is the founder of Velocity Humanitarian Foundation (VHF), a non-governmental organisation supporting thousands of people across Gombe state.
The foundation, incorporated in 2025, has supported students, patients, women, and small business owners. In June 2026, VHF awarded N10 million to 100 Gombe indigenes studying in various tertiary institutions outside the state. In 2025, over N400 million was paid as tuition fees for 2,200 students of Gombe State University (GSU) and another N100 million for 412 students at the Federal University of Kashere (FUK).
VHF's support extends beyond students. Fatima Adamu, a nine-year-old girl, had an accident that left her bedridden for two years with a fracture in one leg. Her parents approached VHF for assistance to pay for amputation surgery, but the foundation took her to another hospital for a different surgery, and she recovered. Fatima's father, Malam Adamu Ahmad, expressed gratitude to the foundation for positively changing his daughter's life.
Abdulhamid Ibrahim, a spinal cord injury patient, had lost hope of walking again until VHF sponsored his surgery, enabling him to walk again. Ms Damaris Danladi Maikano, a beneficiary of VHF empowerment support, used the start-up capital to venture into fish farming, which has improved her business. She settled her debt and her fish business is growing.
Aliyu Kombat told Daily Trust that a hospital bill can mean selling family assets, unpaid school fees can threaten years of education, and lack of capital can force a promising business to shut down. These gaps inspired the creation of VHF to ease difficulties in education, healthcare, and empowerment. He feels there is a need to give back to his community.
The foundation is developing a framework to sponsor 1,100 students from Gombe State, 100 from each of the 11 local government areas, from the onset until their graduation. VHF also provided boreholes for communities with acute water supply problems and supported vulnerable people with foodstuffs during Ramadan and other festive seasons.
Aliyu Kombat acknowledged that there is pressure due to the number of people seeking help from VHF, urging the government to double its efforts in helping people at the grassroots. Despite the numerous lives touched by VHF, Kombat prefers not to be in the spotlight. He plans for VHF intervention to go beyond Gombe state and Northern Nigeria, with programmes in the pipeline to expand to other states.
Key points
- Aliyu Kombat's Velocity Humanitarian Foundation has supported thousands of people in Gombe state.
- VHF's support includes education, healthcare, and empowerment initiatives.
- The foundation plans to expand its interventions beyond Gombe state and Northern Nigeria.
