The Professor Isa Pantami Foundation (PIP Foundation), in partnership with the Mujaddadi Care Foundation, has graduated 200 youths in Bauchi State after an intensive skills-acquisition programme covering smartphone and laptop repairs, artificial intelligence mentorship, and hands-on cybersecurity training.
The graduation ceremony, which held on Saturday, December 21, 2025, marked the third cohort of the initiative, following two earlier cohorts that were conducted in Gombe State, the hometown of the foundation’s founder.
Beyond training, the programme emphasized immediate economic empowerment. Each of the 200 graduates received nine essential startup tools at no cost, enabling them to commence their entrepreneurial ventures immediately after graduation.
Delivering a virtual address at the event, the Founder of the PIP Foundation, Professor Isa Ali Ibrahim Pantami (Majidadin Daular Usmaniyya), urged the graduates to translate their newly acquired knowledge into productive ventures.
“Skills must not remain theoretical,” Pantami said. “You have been equipped with tools and knowledge; what matters now is how effectively you utilise them to build businesses, create value, and achieve economic independence.”
The ceremony attracted scholars, academics, traditional rulers, community leaders, and other dignitaries who commended the foundation’s sustained investment in youth development.
Speaking at the event, Professor Aminu Ahmad described skills acquisition as a long-term solution to youth unemployment and poverty.
“If these tools are used productively, they can change lives,” he said. “Skills are sustainable assets that can secure livelihoods far beyond white-collar job expectations.”
Dr. Ibrahim Babangida also encouraged the graduates to emulate Professor Pantami’s dedication to knowledge and service.
“Professor Pantami’s life shows that knowledge, when shared selflessly, can uplift communities and transform society,” he noted.
In his keynote address titled “Skills Rather Than Just Degrees,” Alhaji Abdulmalik Bilyaminu (Barden Kirare) highlighted the growing global preference for competence over certificates.
“During my visit to Microsoft in the United States, I observed that employees were not judged by the number of degrees they had, but by the skills they brought to the table,” he said. “This reflects a global shift that Professor Pantami has long championed—balancing certificates with practical skills.”
He urged the graduates to apply lessons from Professor Pantami’s teachings and writings to build sustainable careers.
Also speaking, Professor Abdulsalam Ya’u Gital, Dean of the Faculty of Computing at Abubakar Tafawa Balewa University, described Professor Pantami as a model for excellence.
“Anyone who desires excellence in knowledge, character, and service will naturally want to follow Professor Pantami’s path,” Gital said, encouraging the graduates to uphold discipline and continuous learning.
In appreciation of the initiative, the graduating participants presented awards of recognition to both the Professor Isa Pantami Foundation and the Mujaddadi Care Foundation for their contributions to skills development and human capacity building.
The event ended on a note of optimism, with participants expressing renewed commitment to innovation, self-reliance, and skills-driven development—reaffirming Professor Pantami’s vision of empowering society through practical knowledge.
