Jigawa Students Mobilize for Tinubu, Namadi Re-Election

A student political mobilisation group in Jigawa State, JAGABA/DANMODI Students’ Mandate 2027, 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 aims to build 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 that the initiative is a platform for engaging students and creating awareness about government policies and programmes. The group’s endorsement of Tinubu and Namadi is based on measurable interventions in the education sector at both federal and state levels. The federal government’s initiatives highlighted include the Nigerian Education Loan Fund (NELFUND), which has provided financial assistance to over 1.6 million students, with over N322 billion disbursed.

The group also cited the Federal Government’s Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) programme, designed to equip over one million young Nigerians with vocational skills through 1,600 centres, offering free tuition, monthly stipends and starter packs. The Tinubu administration has also resolved 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.

At the state level, the group praised Namadi’s administration for investments in basic, secondary and tertiary education, as well as programmes aimed at improving youth employment and empowerment. Over 17,000 teachers have received training under the Jigawa UNITES programme, while the state government has employed 2,177 graduates and recruited 149 first-class graduates into tertiary institutions. The state allocated 32 per cent of its budget to education in 2024 and 26 per cent in 2026.

The group highlighted the state’s budgetary commitment to education, noting that Jigawa declared a state of emergency in education to tackle learning deficiencies and improve standards across schools. The administration has 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. The J-TEACH initiative facilitated the recruitment of 7,000 personnel, with 3,000 subsequently absorbed as permanent staff. The government also provided over 3,000 classrooms, 500 boreholes and 1,200 toilets across the state to improve the learning environment and access to essential facilities.

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 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.

Key points

• The Jigawa State Chapter of JAGABA/DANMODI Students’ Mandate 2027 has launched a mobilisation campaign to promote the achievements of President Bola Tinubu and Governor Umar Namadi.
• The group cited several federal and state government initiatives aimed at improving education, skills acquisition and youth empowerment.
• The mobilisation campaign aims to engage students and create awareness about government policies and programmes.