NITDA DG empowers hundreds in Jigawa as TMS hails initiative

Hundreds of women and youths in Jigawa State have received cash grants, business tools, agricultural inputs and educational support under a grassroots empowerment facilitated by Mr. Kashifu Inuwa Abdullahi, Director General of the National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA).

The latest phase of the programme, held in Hadejia, focused largely on financial aid to beneficiaries, which organisers described as part of a recurring intervention targeted at improving livelihoods and reducing poverty at the community level.

Previous rounds of the initiative in other parts of Jigawa included the distribution of sewing machines, bakery equipment, farming tools, fertiliser, seedlings and cash support for small businesses and farmers. Students have also benefited from scholarships and educational materials.

Coordinator of the programme, Alhaji Naziru Inuwa, explained that the local-centric scheme was geared toward women, youths, farmers, students and small-scale entrepreneurs who require assistance to boost their financial stability.

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“This social service is not a one-off gesture. It is a sustained, structured intervention that brings government closer to the people and converts policy into tangible relief,” he said.

“We are committed to reaching the ordinary person in Jigawa State — the woman who needs a sewing machine to start a tailoring business, the young farmer who cannot afford fertiliser, the child whose school fees are a burden.”

Naziru said organisers aligned the programme with the objectives of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda, adding that it also aims to strengthen civic and political engagement ahead of the 2027 general elections.

Members of the Tinubu Must Stay (TMS) movement, who volunteered during the Hadejia distribution, commended the initiative and urged beneficiaries to use the grants and materials responsibly.

The National Convener of TMS, Engr. Ibrahim Uba, described the empowerment scheme as an example of grassroots intervention that complements broader government economic policies.

“The Renewed Hope Agenda is alive in communities like Hadejia because dedicated leaders like the NITDA DG, Kashifu Inuwa Abdullahi, are translating it from a slogan into real deliverables,” Uba said.

Inuwa has been variously lauded for technology and social development projects in Jigawa, his home state. In June, the First Lady, Senator Oluremi Tinubu, commissioned the Bola Ahmed Tinubu Future Academy in Hadejia, alongside a healthcare facility.

The academy, designed to provide digital training and support innovation, was facilitated through NITDA, which continues to implement digital development initiatives, including partnerships aimed at expanding digital literacy, entrepreneurship and STEM education.