Nasarawa youths donate school

A youth association, the Kilema Youth Development Association Lafia, has donated a school to the Kilema community in Nasarawa State to promote access to both Islamic and conventional education.

The association said the initiative was aimed at improving children’s knowledge and skills while preparing them to become responsible members of society.

Speaking at the official inauguration of the school on Wednesday in Kilema community, Lafia, the state capital, the Chairman of KIYDAL, Usman Abubakar Zanwa, said the newly established institution was named Kilema Islamiyya Community School.

He said the association recognised the importance of education in shaping children’s future, adding that Islam placed great emphasis on the acquisition of knowledge.

Zanwa explained that the school would provide an enabling environment for children to acquire Islamic knowledge, develop good character and imbibe values such as discipline, honesty, respect, compassion and service to humanity.

He said, “However, we are conscious that establishing a school is only the beginning. The sustainability and success of the institution will depend on the collective support of the government, community leaders, parents, philanthropists and other stakeholders.

“We therefore appeal to the Governor of Nasarawa State, Abdullahi Sule, relevant government agencies, philanthropists and well-meaning individuals to support the school with teaching materials, qualified teachers, infrastructure and other necessary facilities.”

The KIYDAL chairman said the association was established to contribute to the social, educational, economic and human development of the community while promoting unity, peace and responsible leadership among youths.

He added that community development required collective efforts from the government, traditional institutions, civil society organisations, religious bodies, the private sector and responsible citizens.

The association also commissioned its new office accommodation, which it said would serve as a permanent coordination centre for its programmes and activities.

According to Zanwa, the office would provide a suitable environment for members to plan and implement projects aimed at improving the welfare of youths and the wider community.

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“We see the office not simply as a physical structure, but as a symbol of commitment, organisation and continuity. It is our hope that future generations of KIYDAL members will look back at this day as a turning point in the history of the association,” he said.

Speaking at the event, the Commissioner for Electoral Operations at the Nasarawa State Independent Electoral Commission and chairman of the occasion, Muhammad Ilele Gayam, commended the youths for their commitment to community development.

Gayam, who was represented by Hassan Waziri, said the association had demonstrated dedication through initiatives aimed at alleviating the hardship of residents, particularly vulnerable members of the community.

“As stakeholders in Lafia, we must support the association because they have impacted on the lives of vulnerable individuals at all times,” he said.

He also urged residents of Kilema to support the All Progressives Congress governorship candidate for the 2027 election, Aliyu Ahmed Wadada, and President Bola Tinubu’s re-election bid, saying such support would reciprocate the achievements of the Sule administration in the area.

Similarly, a former Commissioner for Commerce, Trade and Investment and APC candidate for Lafia Central, Abubakar Imam Zanwa, called on the community to support the party’s governorship candidate.

He listed road construction, the Kilema-Amba Bridge, water channels, boreholes, classrooms and toilet facilities, as well as appointments of indigenes, among the achievements of the Sule administration in the community.

“Governor Abdullahi Sule has worked for the community by constructing roads, the Kilema-Amba Bridge, water channels, providing boreholes, classrooms and toilet facilities, and appointing sons and daughters of the community.

“So, I urge you to reciprocate these gestures by electing Senator Wadada Aliyu as the next governor,” he said.

Earlier, the Special Assistant to Governor Sule on Politics, Abdullahi Masallaci, and the Special Assistant to the Governor on Media in the Office of the First Lady, Lamino Ishaq, urged youths across the state to emulate the Kilema youths by supporting orphans, widows and other vulnerable members of their communities.