Uba Sani, governor of Kaduna state, on Wednesday, September 16, fulfilled his N30 million pledge to young innovators by providing direct financial support to advance promising projects in technology, scientific research and innovation.
The governor had announced the grant during the 2026 International Youth Day conference in Kaduna, with N3 million awarded to each of the outstanding young innovators.
Presenting the cheques on behalf of the governor to the beneficiaries, Gloria Ibrahim, commissioner for youth development, said the intervention was part of the administration’s efforts to provide practical support for young people in the state.
“His excellency, governor Uba Sani decided to provide financial support to these young people to help them take their innovations further,’’ the commissioner said.
“The ministry was established specifically to support young people, and we expect you to use these resources to build your future, expand your work and bring greater recognition to Kaduna state.”
She said although time constraints prevented some of the invited innovators from making presentations at the International Youth Day conference, the governor had directed that they should also benefit from the intervention.
Ahmed Maiyaki, commissioner for information and culture, said the N30 million intervention was part of the administration’s investment in young people, education and innovation.
“This N30 million is an investment in your ideas, research and future,” Maiyaki said.
“Governor Uba Sani is investing in the next generation, and we expect you to translate this support into deeper research, stronger innovations and practical solutions that can compete anywhere in the world.”
The commissioner also cited the state government’s support for local innovators, which he said had exposed them to international opportunities and facilitated partnerships in areas such as renewable energy and rural electrification.
He pointed to the administration’s investment in educational infrastructure, including an eight-kilometre road project at Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria, as well as its inclusion of young people in governance, with more than 40 percent of political appointees under the age of 40.
Maiyaki said the beneficiaries should regard the grants as seed support for greater accomplishments rather than an endpoint.
“What matters ultimately is not the amount presented today, but what you build with it. Kaduna has talented young people capable of developing solutions to real problems.
“The government’s responsibility is to create the environment, open doors and provide the support that enables good ideas to move from laboratories and workshops into solutions that improve lives,” he said.
Beneficiaries included a team of computer engineering students from Ahmadu Bello University (ABU), Zaria, which developed a smart walking aid for visually impaired people; Al-Amin Mohammed Idris and Shamsudeen Jibril, winners of the National Board for Technology Incubation (NBTI) NEXTGEN Challenge; and Fauziyya Muhammad Auwal, a student of Kaduna State University (KASU) and founder of ASTHERA, a space technology initiative.
The eight microchip designers selected for specialised training under the Kaduna state human capital development initiative also benefited.
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