In this piece, Francis Sardauna, chronicles giant strides of Lado Development Foundation in making higher education affordable, reducing students’ debt and giving more vulnerable students access to quality universities, polytechnics and colleges of education in northern Nigeria.
In an era where sustainability of educational programmes and policies is paramount, scholarships play a critical role in expanding access to higher education, supporting academic achievement and fostering social and academic development.
Recognizing this, Senator Yakubu Lado, through his Lado Development Foundation (LDF), is investing heavily in youth-led innovation, education and research through grants, mentorship programmes and scholarships across states in northern Nigeria.
From financial relief and reduced students’ debt to enhanced career prospects and personal growth, Lado Development Foundation is offering life-changing opportunities for students, especially those from underrepresented and vulnerable backgrounds in different public and private higher institutions across the region.
The foundation has over the years, been empowering the younger generation through these academic scholarships to lead charge toward a greener future of excellence in order to become greater leaders that will reshape the region’s current educational status, which has been described by many as poor.
Regardless of their political and religious affiliations, 13,007 students, including those undergoing their first degree, masters and PhD programmes in both public and private universities, colleges of education and polytechnics across the northern region had benefited from Lado’s revolving scholarships.
These scholarships and grants are primarily aimed at addressing the financial needs and making education affordable for students who are pursuing different careers at Bayero University, Kano; Umaru Musa Yar’Adua University, Katsina; Federal University, Dutsinma; Usman Danfodiyo University, Sokoto and Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria.
In Bayero University for instance, 712 students benefitted from the scholarship; Umaru Musa Yar’Adua University, 2,298 students; Federal University Dutsinma; 1,922 students; Usman Danfodiyo University, 217 students, while 365 students of Ahmadu Bello University were also awarded the scholarship to study courses of their choice.
Statistics from the Lado Development Foundation further revealed that 431 students of Federal College of Education, Katsina, were financially empowered through the scholarship programme; 53 from Federal College of Education, Zaria and 63 from Federal Polytechnic,Kaduna respectively.
Committed to encouraging and sustaining education in the country, the Lado Development Foundation has paid millions of naira for students to write qualifying examinations to gain admission into universities, polytechnics and colleges of education in many states of the northern region.
Evidently, the foundation has paid the National Examinations Council (NECO) registration fee for 2,928 students and Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) examination fee for 4,918 students across different centres in Katsina, Funtua and Daura senatorial zones of Katsina State.
For these 13,007 benefiting students, the scholarship is not just financial aid, it is a chance to break barriers, access quality education and achieve their dreams because without such support, many of them might be forced to abandon their aspirations due to financial constraints.
They also believe that the scholarships and grants given to them by the Lado Development Foundation have empowered them to succeed, contribute to their immediate communities and create a better future for themselves and the society at large.
“This scholarship empowers us to pursue our dreams, fuels our passion for learning and helps us explore opportunities that might have otherwise been out of reach”, Nuraddeen Mohammed, one of the benefiting students said.
Mohammed, a 200 level student of the state-owned Umaru Musa Yar’Adua University, described the scholarship as key to unlocking a brighter future, build confidence and pave the way for independence for the Nigerian future leaders.
“For most children, attending school is a normal part of life, but for an orphan like me, the reality is often drastically different. So, I thank the Lado Development Foundation for coming to my aid. May Allah bless the owner of the foundation and keep him or her for us”, he added.
For Abdulhamid Mubarak, the scholarship is a life changer. “My parents struggle to pay my school fees. Sometimes I work at construction sites or some form of hard labour just to raise money to help my parents pay for my school fees.
“But now I feel so happy and I want to say that the Lado Development Foundation and my parents will be proud of me later in the future. With this financial support, I will do everything humanly possible to continue my education and be a better person.”
The story was not different for Amina Lawal, an SS III student whose NECO fee was paid by the Lado Development Foundation in 2024.
“Many of us were not sure whether we were going to write the National Examinations Council (NECO) with our fellow students, but because of the scholarship support, we were able to graduate from secondary school,” she said.
Another beneficiary, Khadija Khalid, thanked the foundation for making concerted efforts to dismantle barriers and create inclusive learning environments where every student can thrive and fulfill their potential.
She said one of the greatest tragedies faced by most students is the cycle of poverty. “Without support like this, such students are more likely to remain trapped in the same impoverished conditions they were born into”, Khadija stated.
While screening Khadija and other students for the scholarship at the Umaru Musa Yar’Adua University (UMYU), the Programme Coordinator of the Foundation, GaliSalisu-Bakori, said the decision to support the students was influenced by the need to give opportunities to children from poor households to grow academically and socially.
According to him: “We have consistently extended scholarships to different institutions across the country. At UMYU alone, 372 students benefited in 2023, 813 in 2024, and 1,113 in the first half of 2025. This year, our target is to reach more than 2,000 students.
“Scholarship supports equity by helping low-income students, allowing recipients to focus on their studies and boosting motivation and career opportunities. It benefits both individuals and society by promoting education, diversity and social mobility.”
He reaffirmed the foundation’s unwavering commitment to empowering the next generation of Nigerian leaders, leveraging the scholarship programme and grants to empower and support students in higher institutions.
By alleviating their academic expenses through scholarships and grants, the students now focus on their studies rather than worrying about how to fund their education, making learning more accessible and stress-free for them.
Beyond their academics, the scholarships encourage the students’ personal growth by instilling confidence, resilience and a sense of responsibility. Students who earned these scholarships had developed strong leadership skills, self-discipline and a drive to give back to their communities.
Therefore, the impact of the scholarship and other revolving educational initiatives by the Lado Development Foundation, extends far beyond the classroom; it restores hope, dignity and the belief that a better future is possible.
Lado, who was born in Danmarke village, Katsina State, to the family of a prominent business tycoon and politician, AlhajiLadoDanmarke in 1961, started his political career as an appointed supervisory councilor on finance and administration in his native Kankara LGA from 1991 to 1993.
A humble and courageous politician, became Special Assistant to the chairman in 1994 and later became a council chairman from 1999 to 2003, before going to the National Assembly as a House of Representatives member from 2003 to 2007. Then to the Senate.
The 2023 governorship candidate of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP), whose political pedigrees have made him gain unflinching support from the electorate at the national, state, local government and ward levels, is a serial contestant of the governorship seat in Katsina State.
He was among the 2011 governorship aspirants of the defunct Congress for Progressive Change (CPC) in the state, 2015 and 2019 governorship candidates of the People’s Democratic Movement (PDM) and the PDP respectively.
The philanthropist and a successful businessman, is an astute politician and a quiet political achiever but he is considered by pundits as an old-timer on the political turf of Katsina State.
As a bigwig of the People’s Democratic Party and a member of the Board of Trustees (BoT) of the party, Lado has been financing the activities of the PDP in Katsina State for years.
