By Abdullateef Bambgose
Governor Abdullahi Sule of Nasarawa State has announced plans to empower 1,000 youths across the state with solar-powered digital business kiosks under an expanded Sule Economic Empowerment and Development Scheme, SEEDS, backed by ₦2.5 billion.
Governor Sule made the announcement on Wednesday during the commissioning and distribution of the first batch of 50 solar-powered digital business kiosks at the Wing Commander Abdullahi Ibrahim Vocational and Technical Institute, Lafia.
He explained that the 50 beneficiaries, who have been trained and equipped, will serve as a pilot to test the viability of the initiative before it is expanded to 1,000 youths across the state’s 13 local government areas.
The governor challenged the pioneer beneficiaries to treat the kiosks as serious business ventures and to demonstrate commitment. He promised that if the pilot succeeds within three to four months, his administration will release the ₦2.5 billion required to empower the additional 1,000 youths.
Governor Sule disclosed that funding for the planned expansion is already available, noting that Nasarawa State secured $17 million under the World Bank-backed ACReSAL programme, which remains unspent and can be deployed to scale up SEEDS and other youth empowerment initiatives.
He said the state is also positioned to benefit further, having recently emerged as the only state recognised at a meeting with the President and Vice President on the report of the National Working Technical Committee on Agriculture.
He described the initiative as a practical demonstration of his administration’s commitment to youth empowerment and ease of doing business. According to him, each kiosk, valued at about ₦2.5 million, will provide services including JAMB and WAEC result checks, DSTV and GOTV subscription payments, electricity bill payments, bank account opening, debit card issuance, flight ticket booking, hotel reservations, data and airtime top-ups, and solar-powered phone charging for multiple devices.
Governor Sule said beneficiaries were also given over ₦100,000 in working capital to ensure a strong start. He urged the pioneer 50 to see themselves as trailblazers whose performance will determine whether the next 1,000 youths benefit from the scheme.
He also cautioned youths against being misled by false political claims, stressing that no APC governorship primary result has been altered. He urged young people to channel their energy into productive ventures rather than street protests driven by misinformation.
Earlier, the Commissioner for Youth and Sports Development, Hon. Kwanta Yakubu, said the ministry developed SEEDS after identifying gaps in data coordination in previous youth empowerment programmes.
Hon. Kwanta disclosed that a broader Socio-Economic Empowerment Development Scheme strategic plan targeting unemployed graduates, artisans, vocational skill seekers, aspiring entrepreneurs, and rural youth and women is being finalised for implementation across the state between 2026 and 2030, in line with the governor’s plan to empower an additional 1,000 youths.
The development partner, Pinnacle Hi-Tech, represented by Mr. John Uzor, described the kiosks as solar-powered, one-stop business units equipped with point-of-sale terminals, phone-charging sockets, a solar-powered fan, and internet connectivity. He added that beneficiaries were trained on entrepreneurship and kiosk operations in partnership with the Small and Medium Enterprises Development Agency of Nigeria, SMEDAN.
The Executive Director of the Wing Commander Abdullahi Ibrahim Vocational and Technical Institute, Dr. Ewuga Esele, confirmed that the kiosks were fully fabricated at the institute. He welcomed the planned expansion, saying it would create sustainable employment for skilled youths and strengthen the state’s digital economy.
Also speaking, the ALGON Chairman, Hon. Safiyanu Isa Andaha, commended the governor’s commitment to youth development and pledged the support of local government chairmen for the rollout of the expanded programme.
In a vote of thanks, Solomon Egye, who spoke on behalf of the participants, pledged to put the empowerment to productive use and urged the governor to remember other youths still on the streets as the scheme expands.
