…As MUSAWAH 4 Y-D mobilizes 26,446 grassroots
by Achadu Gabriel, Kaduna
Minister of Defence, General Christopher Musa (rtd), on Monday, inaugurated the “MUSAWAH for Youth and Development’ Initiative in Kaduna, describing it as “the formal activation of a movement” of young Nigerians and women committed to service, development, and the future of the nation.
Speaking at the event, Musa said MUSAWAH for Youth and Development (MUSAWAH 4 Y-D) initiative is not just another support group but a platform rooted in equality, inclusion, and shared responsibility, and to support re-election of Bola Tinubu and Uba Sani.
He noted that Nigeria’s greatest asset is its youth, with over 60% of the population under 30, and stressed that failing to engage and empower them amounts to failure.
“This Initiative has a clear mandate: to mobilize young people across Kaduna State and, soon, across Nigeria, for civic participation and national development,” he said.
The minister stated that MUSAWAH 4 Y-D “will drive grassroots support for the re-election of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, whose Renewed Hope Agenda is laying the foundation for a stronger Nigeria.”
The group will also work to secure victory for Governor Uba Sani, whose inclusive governance and development strides must be consolidated, and ensure APC candidates at all levels in 2027 are “men and women who will serve with integrity.”
Musa said the initiative already has a full national leadership structure, rooted in all 23 LGAs of Kaduna State, down to every Ward and Polling Unit, adding that, working with hundreds of partner groups present, from Monday, “MUSAWAH will accelerate expansion into other states.”
“This is how elections are won – not on billboards, but at the polling units, with committed people like you, who believe in the vision,” he told the crowd of farmers, students, artisans, professionals, women groups, faith-based organizations, and community associations.
Addressing young people, Musa who was represented by his senior special assistant on security, Major-General S. Bala, said Nigeria needs them “not as tools for violence or division, but as partners in progress.”
He cited deliberate investments by the Tinubu and Uba Sani administrations in security, education, agriculture, and digital jobs, and stressed that government cannot do it alone.
“MUSAWAH 4 Y-D, together with our affiliates, will train you, sensitize you, and give you a platform to contribute. We will move, from promises to action; from agitation to participation; from unemployment to productivity,” he said.
*Call to Action* The Defence Minister charged members and partner groups to return to their Wards and Polling Units, organize themselves, register new voters, defend democracy, and tell the story of APC achievements with facts and dignity. He urged them to reject what he termed as “politics of bitterness” and campaign on performance, not propaganda.
“Before I go further, let me recognize the real strength in this hall today – the hundreds of support and interest groups, who are partners and affiliates of MUSAWAH 4 Y-D. You are not guests here. You are co-owners of this vision,” he said.
He then declared: “By the power vested in me, I hereby declare the MUSAWAH for Youth and Development Initiative formally inaugurated.”
Also in his opening remarks, the National Coordinator of the Initiative, Amb Dr. Polycarp Danladi Gankon, said MUSAWAH 4 Y-D Initiative was formally inaugurated in Kaduna State with over 26,446 grassroots mobilizers and more than 250 affiliated support groups across the 23 LGAs, as the group pledged to campaign for the re-election of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and Governor Uba Sani.
Dr. Gankon, who disclosed this Monday, during the inauguration ceremony in Kaduna, said the initiative, sponsored by Grand Patron and Minister of Defence, Gen. Christopher Musa (rtd), was conceived last year as “a movement with roots in every community.”
Gankon said over 250 farmers’ cooperatives, student unions, women associations, artisan groups, faith-based organizations, community development associations, professional bodies, and political groups have completed registration and are fully affiliated with MUSAWAH 4 Y-D across Kaduna State.
He outlined MUSAWAH’s political architecture to include: 18 National Executive Council members, 115 LGA officials at 5 per LGA, 2,295 ward officials at 9 per ward, and 24,036 polling unit officials at 3 per polling unit.
He added that 60 support groups, each with not less than 100 members, also work with the initiative.
“This brings our total to over 26,446 active grassroots mobilisers, strategically positioned to engage communities, influence public opinion, and drive political participation at a large scale,” he said.
On its objectives, Gankon stated that MUSAWAH 4 Y-D was established on two premises: to campaign for the re-election of President Tinubu and Governor Uba Sani on one hand, and to organize real support and empowerment for youths and women on the other.
He listed ongoing interventions, including a free NIN Registration Centre at MUSAWAH Headquarters and sponsorship of three members for NIN enrollment training in Abuja for deployment to LGAs.
The group also sponsors a 30-minute Hausa Radio programme, “MAI GYARA BA YA BARNA,” on Nagarta Radio every Tuesday at 9:30pm, and Salama FM Kafanchan on Saturday at 9:20pm to promote the achievements of the President and Governor.
*Funding Appeal and Charge* The National Coordinator commended Gen. Musa for funding and faith in the initiative, calling members his “foot soldiers.” He told the 250+ partner groups that “your registration is not paper – it is partnership. From today, your projects are our projects.”
He said the group now needs “strategic funding and mobilization” to activate its machinery, describing MUSAWAH 4 Y-D as “the most viable grassroots platform in Kaduna State.” He urged APC leaders, stakeholders, and 2027 candidates to invest in the group, saying “investing in MUSAWAH is investing in 2027 victory.”
Gankon charged every MUSAWAH leader and affiliate to “organize deeper, register voters, and tell the Renewed Hope story,” adding that “the polling unit is our battlefield, and we already own the ground.”
He concluded that, while the initiative is being inaugurated in Kaduna, “tomorrow we take this initiative nationwide.”
Kaduna State Governor, Uba Sani, represented at the event by Barrister James Kanyip, said youth empowerment programmes such as MUSAWAH were critical to addressing unemployment, insecurity and social exclusion.
“When we engage youths through education and skills acquisition, we reduce vulnerability to poverty, insecurity and radicalization,” he said.
He added that the Kaduna State Government had continued to invest in skills acquisition centres across the state to strengthen human capital development and improve economic opportunities for young people.
Kanyip, however, urged organisers to ensure sustainability beyond political cycles, stressing that youth development initiatives must be designed to outlive individual leadership or electoral periods.
“This kind of initiative must go beyond politics. It must become a permanent structure for youth development and economic empowerment,” he said.
The event also featured discussions on civic participation, grassroots mobilisation, and the role of youth in governance, with participants calling for increased investment in digital skills and innovation-driven training programmes.
Organisers said the MUSAWAH 4 Y-D initiative would continue expanding its programmes across Kaduna State, with plans to extend its training and empowerment projects to other parts of Nigeria.
About 50 VC clergy men attended the inauguration ceremony, which held in Kaduna on Monday.