International Youth Day: Uba Sani Provides Financial Support to Innovators

From Femi Oyelola, Kaduna

Governor Uba Sani has emphasized that youth empowerment is fundamental to his administration’s philosophy and is not just a slogan shouted at events.

He pointed out that the Kaduna State Government recognizes that “a society cannot achieve prosperity by marginalizing the generation that will inherit its institutions, its economy, and its responsibilities.” Governor Uba Sani, speaking at the International Youth Day Conference on Friday, also supported outstanding youths from Kaduna State who have excelled in science and technology with N3 million each. The beneficiaries include a group of Computer Engineering students from Ahmadu Bello University (ABU) Zaria who developed the Innovative Walking Aid, which assists the visually impaired.

Another beneficiary was Fauziyya Muhammad Auwal of Kaduna State University, the first female astronaut candidate with Titans Space Industries, Nigeria’s first female analog astronaut for the 2026 LunAres Research Station in Poland, and founder of ASTHERA, an initiative focused on space technology.

Others are the eight-member Microchip Designers who were selected for specialized training under the Kaduna State Human Capital Development initiative.

The rest are Al Amin Mohammed Idris and Shamsudeen Jibril, winners of the National Board for Technology Incubation(NBTI) NEXTGEN challenge

Speaking at the event, the Governor further said that Kaduna State is committed to moving beyond promises and symbolism towards investment that empowers the youth.

‘’ We will continue to expand skills acquisition and vocational training, because every young person deserves the opportunity to leave school with not only a certificate, but also a skill with which to earn a dignified living.

‘’We will deepen digital literacy and technological innovation, because Kaduna’s youth must not merely consume the products of the digital economy; you must design, build and own them,’’ he said.

The Governor also promised to strengthen ‘’entrepreneurship and access to finance, because too many promising ideas have been abandoned not for lack of talent, but for lack of opportunity and capital.’’

The Governor also pointed out that empowerment must ultimately include power, especially the power to participate, influence decisions, and lead.

‘’We must create credible pathways through which young people can enter public service, governance and civic leadership. Not as a favor granted by older generations,’’ he advised.

Governor Uba Sani maintained that creating such pathways is a recognition of reality because youths are already leading in ‘’businesses, communities, schools, families, creative enterprises and social movements.’’

He noted that government cannot accomplish this alone because ‘’the transformation we seek requires an ecosystem of government, private enterprise, civil society, development partners, educational institutions and, most importantly, young people themselves.’’

The Governor therefore called on ‘’development partners, civil society organizations and institutions whose resources, expertise and commitment continue to expand opportunities for the youth of Kaduna.’’

He counseled the youth not to allow their local government, language, faith, gender, economic circumstance or disability to determine the limits of their ambition.

‘’Build relationships beyond the boundaries you inherited. Learn from people whose experiences differ from yours. Create enterprises, ideas and institutions that solve real problems. And, above all, refuse to surrender your imagination to the difficulties of the present,” he advised.

In her welcome address, the Commissioner of Youth Development, Barrister Gloria Ibrahim, said that the theme of the International Youth Day Conference 2026 is “Different Contexts, Common Aspirations.’’

‘’Across Kaduna State, our young people come from different worlds — the busy tech hubs and corporate spaces of Kaduna metropolis, the agricultural heartlands of Sabon Gari and Birnin Gwari, the trading posts of southern Kaduna, and the classrooms, workshops, and start-ups scattered across our 23 Local Government Areas,’’ she said.

According to the Commissioner, ‘’our contexts differ, but our aspirations converge: good jobs, real opportunity, a peaceful and secure state, and a genuine seat at the table where decisions about our future are made.’’

Describing Governor Uba Sani as a leader who delivers on his promises, Barrister Ibrahim pointed out that his commitment to young people is demonstrated more by actions than words.

‘’In 2025, His Excellency created the Kaduna State Ministry of Youth Development — a dedicated institution to coordinate policy, programs, and partnerships for young people, so that youth development is no longer an afterthought but a central pillar of governance in our state,’’ she recalled.

The governor has also been investing in youth empowerment, especially with the establishment of three modern skills and vocational centers in Rigachikun, Zango Kataf, and Soba, she added.

‘’Beyond vocational trades, His Excellency has also prioritized the future of work by driving Digital and Tech Skills Empowerment programs across the state, equipping our young people with the ICT, digital literacy, and technology skills they need to compete not just locally but globally,’’ she disclosed.