The JAGABA/Ahmed Aliyu Students’ Mandate 2027, Sokoto State chapter, has inaugurated campus ambassadors to mobilise students across higher institutions in support of President Bola Tinubu and Governor Ahmed Aliyu ahead of the 2027 general elections.
The group said its endorsement of the two leaders was informed by their respective administrations’ interventions in education, youth empowerment and skills development.
The inauguration, according to the organisation, was part of efforts to establish a structured student mobilisation network across tertiary institutions in the state.
Speaking at the event, the convener, Comrade Bashar Muhammad Silame, described the initiative as a strategic platform for engaging students and creating awareness about government policies and programmes.
He said the ambassadors would take the message of the administrations’ achievements to campuses and encourage students to participate actively in the 2027 electoral process.
“We are launching a movement that will engage students on the achievements recorded in education.
“Our Campus Ambassadors will take this message to campuses, engage fellow students and ensure that young people are properly informed about the interventions affecting their education and future,” Silame said.
Highlighting the Federal Government’s achievements, the group cited the Nigerian Education Loan Fund, which it said had recorded more than 1.6 million beneficiaries, with over N322bn disbursed to students across various institutions.
It also commended the Technical and Vocational Education and Training programme, which targets the training of more than one million young Nigerians across 1,600 centres.
The students further listed the resolution of prolonged industrial disputes in the university system, improved funding for tertiary education, research grants and infrastructure projects supported by the Tertiary Education Trust Fund as reasons for supporting Tinubu.
On the state government’s performance, the group praised Aliyu for declaring a state of emergency in the education sector shortly after assuming office on May 29, 2023.
It also cited the amendment of the state’s Right to Education Law, which it said strengthened children’s access to basic education.
According to the group, Sokoto has consistently allocated at least 26 per cent of its annual budget to education, exceeding the UNESCO-recommended benchmark.
It further claimed that a September 2026 assessment by the Federal Ministry of Education ranked the state among the five best-performing states in basic education.
On school infrastructure, the organisation said the Aliyu administration constructed two new junior secondary schools in each of the state’s 23 local government areas between August 2023 and January 2024, alongside four additional schools in Sokoto metropolis.
It added that the government constructed 147 classrooms, renovated 142 others and provided 208 VIP toilets.
The group also cited rehabilitation projects covering 1,760 primary schools and 180 junior secondary schools, which it said had recorded more than 85 per cent completion.
Other interventions highlighted included the establishment of three mega model schools across the state’s senatorial districts, three Digital Almajiri Schools and the Sokoto All Girls Science Academy.
On efforts to address out-of-school children, the group said more than 800,000 children had been enrolled or returned to classrooms since 2023 through government interventions and community sensitisation.
It also commended the introduction of students’ bus services, recruitment of 2,000 teachers and payment of examination fees for eligible candidates sitting the WAEC, NECO, NABTEB and NBAIS examinations.
In tertiary education, the group said the state government spent N6.79bn on local and foreign scholarships, tuition and students’ upkeep between May 2023 and September 2026.
It also praised the administration for clearing inherited tuition debts, including N555m owed to Usmanu Danfodiyo University, as well as outstanding fees at 12 foreign universities.
The group noted that the government also facilitated the resettlement of 72 Sokoto students evacuated from conflict-hit Sudan and Ukraine.
It further highlighted the approval of 24 new degree programmes at Sokoto State University by the National Universities Commission in August 2026, including Medicine, Pharmacy, Nursing Science, Cyber Security and Engineering.
On youth development, the organisation described the establishment of the Ministry of Skills Acquisition and Entrepreneurship Development as a major step towards addressing unemployment.
It said more than 3,750 young people had received training in different vocational skills, while 600 youths trained under programmes of the State Ministry of Economic Development received financial support.
The group also cited the graduation of 1,000 women from skills acquisition programmes and a digital training initiative targeting 10,000 young people.
It added that a partnership with BUA Cement had provided training in heavy-equipment operation for 60 youths, who were subsequently employed by the company.
The organisation also recalled that the All-Nigerian Conference of Principals of Secondary Schools recognised Aliyu with its Best Performing Governor Award for his contributions to education.
Charging the newly inaugurated ambassadors to take the campaign to their respective institutions, Silame said students must remain engaged in decisions affecting their future.
“We cannot afford to return to a period when young people were denied opportunities, schools lacked basic facilities and students struggled to access quality education,” he said.
He added that the future of Sokoto depended largely on the quality of education available to its young population.
The event ended with a call on students across the state to support Tinubu and Aliyu in the 2027 elections, while the ambassadors pledged to mobilise their colleagues across tertiary institutions.