Yobe State Governor, Mai Buni, has begun empowering 2,000 youths with dozens of tricycles and Global System for Mobile Communications (GSM) repair kits to stimulate self-employment and reduce poverty in the state.
The intervention marks the first humanitarian support activity of the year by the Buni administration and forms part of the state government’s broader social support and welfare programme, designed to reach over 50,000 households in each of the 17 local councils across Yobe State.
Speaking at the event on Sunday, the Executive Secretary of the Yobe State Emergency Management Agency (SEMA), Mohammed Goje, disclosed that the initiative is part of activities marking the start of 2026, adding that beneficiaries were drawn from tricycle operators, GSM repairers, and other at-risk residents across the state.
Goje added that beyond youth empowerment, other interventions planned for the year are aimed at easing household food needs by supporting hardworking youths and women in the informal sector of the local economy.
“Each selected household will receive rice, assorted grains, and pasta to support family consumption,” he said.
Goje noted that to ensure transparency and equitable distribution of the food items, beneficiaries were selected by leaders of the tricycle operators’ unions and the GSM Repairers’ Associations (GSMRA) within their respective communities.
“This process enhances credibility and ensures the items reach those actively engaged in the informal economy,” he said.
Congratulating the beneficiaries, Goje urged them to remain law-abiding and promote peace within their communities.
He also encouraged them to cooperate with security agencies and support community safety in order to foster sustainable development across the state.
