The Office of the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Community Engagement (North-West) exists to translate Mr. President’s renewed-hope agenda into work that the people of the region can see, touch and benefit from.
The Office is one of six zonal offices established by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu in September 2023 to ensure that no Nigerian community is too remote to be heard at the highest level of government. It is led by Hon. Abdullahi Tanko Yakasai, the Senior Special Assistant to the President for the North-West zone.
Working out of Abuja with active liaison presence across the seven North-West states, the Office convenes town halls, designs targeted interventions, mobilises partners and reports community priorities directly to the Presidency. It collaborates with federal bodies including NEMA, NIMC and the Ministry of Communications to ensure federal interventions reach their intended recipients.
Hon. Yakasai often frames the mandate in plain terms: “Our role is to deliver messages of federal programmes directly to the people, and bring back feedback to policymakers.” Our remit is broad but our method is simple: meet people where they live, act on what they say, and account for the outcome.
From the ancient walls of Kano to the riverbanks of Kebbi, the Office serves communities across the entire North-West geopolitical zone.
Restoring dignity to learning environments and expanding access for the out-of-school child.
Supporting maternal care, immunisation outreach and primary healthcare strengthening.
Skills, mentorship and seed capital for the next generation of Northern leaders.
Inputs, irrigation and value-chain support for smallholder farmers in the Sahel.
Community-led dialogue, early warning and trust-building with security stakeholders.
Solar power, water and rural connectivity that quietly transforms daily life.
Mediation, reconciliation and rebuilding the social fabric where it is most strained.
We listen first, through town halls and traditional council engagements. We design with partners across government, the development community and the private sector. We deliver targeted interventions in the places they are most needed. And we report back to the Presidency and to the people we serve, in equal measure.
