Reported by Weng Patrick Atokor l Journalist at Weng Global
Students under the JAGABA/DAUDA Students’ Mandate 2027 in Zamfara State have launched a campus mobilisation initiative aimed at rallying support for President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and Governor Dauda Lawal ahead of the 2027 general elections.
The initiative, launched on Wednesday, September 30, 2026, is expected to take the group’s campaign to tertiary institutions across the state through campus discussions, student engagement and voter education.
According to reports by The Guardian, Peoples Daily and other Nigerian media, the group said its activities would focus substantially on education programmes and interventions it attributes to the federal and Zamfara State governments.
Students’ Group Launches Campus Ambassadors
The initiative includes a Campus Ambassadors structure through which the group intends to engage students across tertiary institutions in Zamfara.
The convener, Comrade Bilyaminu Badarawa, described the programme as a platform for reaching students and discussing developments in the education sector.
He said the group would use its campus network to engage young people on government programmes affecting their education and future, while also encouraging voter education and participation ahead of the 2027 elections.
The organisation’s stated political objective is to mobilise support for the re-election of President Tinubu and Governor Lawal.
The development is therefore a political mobilisation effort by a student-focused support group, rather than evidence that Zamfara’s entire student population has endorsed the two politicians. The available reports identify the JAGABA/DAUDA Students’ Mandate 2027 as the organisation behind the mobilisation.
Education Programmes Cited by the Group
The group pointed to education initiatives at both federal and state levels as part of the reasons for its support.
At the federal level, one of the major programmes highlighted is the Nigerian Education Loan Fund (NELFUND).
The student-loan programme was established under the Student Loans (Access to Higher Education) Act, 2024, which created NELFUND as the institution responsible for administering the federal student-loan system.
The federal government has continued to present NELFUND as part of its strategy for expanding access to higher education.
In his October 1, 2026 Independence Day address, President Tinubu said the programme was intended to help students from lower-income households access higher education without being prevented by their families’ inability to meet educational costs.
The group also referred to federal investment in tertiary education infrastructure and other interventions implemented through agencies including the Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFund).
TETFund announced in 2026 that each eligible public university would receive more than ₦2.5 billion under its 2026 intervention allocation, while polytechnics were allocated about ₦1.87 billion each and colleges of education about ₦2.06 billion each.
President Tinubu also commissioned TETFund-funded education projects at several tertiary institutions in May 2026 as part of the federal government’s broader investment in higher education infrastructure.
Zamfara’s Education Reforms Under Lawal
The student mobilisation group also highlighted measures introduced by the Zamfara State Government under Governor Dauda Lawal.
Lawal’s administration declared a state of emergency in the education sector in November 2023.
In January 2025, the governor approved the recruitment of 2,000 teachers across the state. The state government said the recruitment would be carried out in phases, with initial emphasis on subjects including English, Mathematics, Chemistry, Physics, Biology, ICT and Entrepreneurship.
The government also said it had undertaken the construction and renovation of hundreds of schools and provided more than 12,000 two-seater desks as part of its education intervention. Those figures were reported by the state government and separately reported by Nigerian media.
In July 2026, Lawal signed a series of Executive Orders establishing a broader framework for education governance in Zamfara.
According to the state government’s statement, the measures cover education financing, school protection, quality assurance, school health, security, unified examinations, inclusive education, STEM, technical and vocational education and training, and digital education.
The governor’s office said the reforms were designed to move beyond physical infrastructure and strengthen administration, accountability, safety and educational outcomes.
Political Mobilisation Ahead of 2027
The launch comes as political organisations and groups across Nigeria begin positioning themselves ahead of the 2027 elections.
The JAGABA/DAUDA Students’ Mandate is specifically campaigning for Tinubu and Lawal, making education policy and government programmes a central part of its mobilisation message.
The group said its campus ambassadors would combine political mobilisation with voter education and discussions about government programmes.
Its activities are expected to provide a channel for political engagement among students in Zamfara’s tertiary institutions as the country approaches the next general election cycle.
The development follows other political endorsements involving Tinubu and Lawal in Zamfara. In April 2026, the Zamfara chapter of the All Progressives Congress publicly endorsed the two politicians for the 2027 elections.
The student initiative is separate from that party endorsement and is being conducted through the JAGABA/DAUDA Students’ Mandate 2027 structure.
What the Education Debate Means for Students
Education is likely to remain an important issue in political discussions involving young Nigerians ahead of 2027.
For students, questions around access to higher education, tuition and financial support, infrastructure, teaching quality, employment prospects and the safety of educational institutions can have direct consequences.
Federal programmes such as NELFUND and TETFund interventions address parts of the tertiary education system, while state governments have responsibility for significant areas of basic and secondary education and also operate or support state-owned tertiary institutions.
In Zamfara, the Lawal administration’s education reforms have included both infrastructure and policy measures. The state’s July 2026 Executive Orders indicate an attempt to address areas including governance, school safety, financing and quality assurance alongside physical facilities.
However, the claims made by political support groups about government achievements should be distinguished from independently measured outcomes. The mobilisation initiative represents the position of the group organising it, rather than an independent assessment of the overall performance of either administration.
What Happens Next
The JAGABA/DAUDA Students’ Mandate 2027 says its Campus Ambassadors will continue engaging students across tertiary institutions in Zamfara as part of its mobilisation programme.
The group is expected to combine campus outreach, discussions about education programmes and voter education as the 2027 elections approach.
The wider political significance of student mobilisation will depend on how extensively such groups organise across campuses and how students respond to the competing political messages and policy records presented during the election period.
For now, the development marks another organised effort to bring Nigeria’s large youth and student population into the political mobilisation taking shape ahead of the 2027 elections.
Weng Global – Stories beyond borders
Sources
- The Guardian — Report on the JAGABA/DAUDA Students’ Mandate 2027 campus mobilisation.
- Peoples Daily — Report on the Campus Ambassadors initiative in Zamfara.
- Zamfara State Government — Education reforms and Executive Orders announced in July 2026.
- Zamfara State Government — Approval of recruitment of 2,000 teachers in 2025.
- State House, Abuja — Federal education and NELFUND policy statements.
- TETFund — 2026 intervention allocations for public tertiary institutions.
