Jane Salihu
The Hajiya Hadiza Foundation has moved to harness the influence of Nigeria’s entertainment and sports industries to advance humanitarian interventions, empower vulnerable communities and address the social conditions contributing to insecurity.
The foundation unveiled veteran actor Prince Jide Kosoko, comedian Julius Agwu, Chief Zebrudaya and former international footballer Emmanuel Babayaro as ambassadors to promote its humanitarian programmes and mobilise wider support for disadvantaged Nigerians.
At the unveiling ceremony, the foundation’s founder, Ambassador Dr Hajiya Hadiza M. Umar, said her humanitarian mission was driven by personal experiences and a determination to provide sustainable opportunities for people facing difficult circumstances.
She stressed that empowerment, rather than temporary handouts, remained central to her interventions, arguing that equipping vulnerable individuals with practical skills would enable them to become economically independent.
“I don’t pity people; I empower them. When you give empowerment, you give people the opportunity to make a living and become useful members of society,” she said.
Hadiza disclosed that the foundation had established a vocational training centre in Maiduguri, Borno State, to rehabilitate and empower women displaced by Boko Haram activities.
According to her, the centre is designed to accommodate about 1,500 beneficiaries, with training in skills such as soap and oil production to promote self-reliance.
She also linked poverty and social vulnerability to insecurity, maintaining that addressing the root causes of social exclusion required collective responsibility from families, communities and government.
“Security is everybody’s business. We have to train our children well and ensure that people have opportunities to become productive members of society,” she said.
Speaking at the event, Kosoko commended the foundation’s humanitarian interventions, describing its founder’s dedication to philanthropy as worthy of recognition and greater public support.
He urged wealthy Nigerians to emulate individuals who were making sacrifices to improve the lives of the less privileged.
Similarly, Julius Agwu expressed the readiness of the entertainment industry to support the foundation’s activities, particularly its interventions for victims of terrorism and other vulnerable groups.
Chief Zebrudaya called for greater publicity for the foundation’s humanitarian programmes to attract more support, while appealing for attention to ageing and incapacitated veterans in the entertainment industry.
On his part, Babayaro pledged support for the foundation’s proposed use of football as a tool for engaging children affected by terrorism, discovering young talents and creating opportunities for their development.
The Director of the foundation, Dr Abubakar Jimoh, said the involvement of the ambassadors would strengthen its outreach and create opportunities for collaboration across entertainment, sports and other sectors.
He explained that Babayaro would lead football-based interventions designed to engage vulnerable children, discourage street involvement and provide pathways for talent development and economic empowerment.
Jimoh noted that the creative industry had grown beyond entertainment into an important economic sector whose influence could be deployed to promote humanitarian causes.
The foundation said its interventions have covered healthcare assistance, educational scholarships, vocational training, financial support and the distribution of empowerment materials to vulnerable groups across several states.
Among its activities are scholarships for 65 students of the University of Abuja, support for incapacitated soldiers at a military hospital in Maiduguri and mobility aids for victims of terrorism.
Through its Rise Again Initiative, the organisation also reached 3,835 beneficiaries through various empowerment programmes, including vocational training, provision of equipment, food support and scholarships for 56 children.
Beyond Nigeria, the foundation has extended assistance to orphaned children and underserved communities in Kenya.
It is also pursuing a partnership with Chinese and Cuban medical professionals towards establishing a hospital to provide affordable healthcare services to vulnerable women, children and youths.
The foundation expressed optimism that the involvement of the entertainment and sports personalities would expand its humanitarian reach, attract partnerships and encourage more Nigerians to contribute to addressing poverty and social vulnerability.
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