In a major education-focused intervention, a former member of the House of Representatives and governorship aspirant of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Kaduna State, Rt. Hon. Shehu Bawa ABG, has sponsored 3,000 students for the 2026 Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) examination, targeting candidates from low-income families across the state.
The initiative, which cuts across the 23 local government areas of Kaduna State, is being implemented through the Shehu ABG Foundation and covers the full cost of registration for each beneficiary.
Unlike previous interventions framed largely as political philanthropy, ABG said the programme was conceived as a strategic response to the growing number of qualified students who are unable to sit for JAMB due to financial constraints.
During an inspection tour of designated registration centres, the PDP governorship hopeful monitored the exercise to ensure transparency and prevent irregularities that could deny genuine candidates the opportunity.
He told journalists that the rising cost of education has continued to push children of the poor further away from opportunities, warning that neglecting their academic future could deepen poverty and social inequality in the state.
According to him, education remains the most reliable tool for social mobility, stressing that empowering youths academically is more sustainable than short-term empowerment schemes.
ABG noted that older generations benefited from policies that made education more accessible, arguing that leaders must deliberately create similar pathways for today’s youths.
He described the sponsorship as part of a broader youth development agenda aimed at expanding access to higher education and reducing the number of out-of-school and underprivileged students in Kaduna State.
Beyond paying for JAMB forms, he announced a performance-based support package, promising to fully sponsor outstanding students from 100 level through graduation, particularly those emerging with top scores from various wards.
He urged beneficiaries to justify the investment by taking their studies seriously and becoming ambassadors of positive change in their communities.
Parents and guardians who witnessed the exercise commended the initiative, describing it as timely support amid prevailing economic hardship.
Some of the beneficiaries said the sponsorship restored their hope of pursuing tertiary education, noting that without the intervention, registering for JAMB this year would have remained a distant dream.
