UDUS Alumni Secure ₦2 Million in Grants for Grassroots Community Projects
UDUS Alumni Secure ₦2 Million in Grants for Grassroots Community Projects
UmarFarouk123 
Two alumni of Usmanu Danfodiyo University Sokoto (UDUS) have transitioned from traditional national service to community development leaders after winning funding through the 2026 NaijaSolve NYSC Impacts Challenge.
The graduates, Abdulrasheed Abdulkareem Akere and Abubakar Maje Nasir, were selected as part of 25 finalists from a pool of 268 applicants nationwide. They are now set to execute high-impact infrastructure projects worth a combined total of approximately ₦2 million in their respective host communities.
Abdulrasheed Akere, a graduate of Education Biology serving in Taraba State, launched the initiative “Hope Sits in Classroom.” Moved by the sight of students at Government Day Secondary School (GDSS) Kofai receiving lessons while standing or leaning against windows, Akere committed to a full classroom renovation.
In the Dorayi Masallaci community of Kano State, Abubakar Maje Nasir, a Botany graduate, is tackling the chronic lack of clean water. Witnessing how water scarcity negatively affected hygiene and school attendance, Nasir proposed the installation of a solar-powered borehole.
Leveraging his botanical knowledge of environmental sustainability, Nasir’s project was selected for its cost-effectiveness and long-term durability. "I saw this as an opportunity to turn a challenge into a practical solution and create a lasting impact," Nasir noted. He plans to involve the local community in the maintenance phase to ensure the borehole's longevity.
NaijaSolve, described as Nigeria's "GoFundMe for Community Development," operates on a collaborative funding model. To qualify, the change-maker and the host community each commit to 10% of the project cost, while the organization mobilizes the remaining 80%.
The 2026 finalists have an eight-week window to complete their projects, working closely with local stakeholders and professionals. The success of Akere and Nasir underscores the potential of Nigerian graduates to leverage their academic training to solve real-world problems during their service year.
