By Mustapha Salisu
The Game Changer Group (TGCG) has engaged leaders of trade and market associations, political stakeholders and other groups in Kano State on leadership succession, government policies and programmes.
The engagement, held on Saturday in Kano, was organised to bring together leaders of various associations and groups with national presence but headquartered in the state.
Speaking at the meeting, Chief of Staff and National Secretary of TGCG, Dr. Ibrahim Bello Dauda, said the engagement was aimed at introducing the group, explaining its objectives and exchanging ideas with stakeholders on issues affecting Nigerians.
He described TGCG as a hybrid intellectual organisation, think tank and policy-based structure with a political arm, saying its primary objective was to improve the leadership succession process in Nigeria.
According to him, the group seeks to mentor young Nigerians, promote humanitarian activities, empowerment programmes and training, as well as bridge communication gaps between citizens and government.
Dauda said TGCG would also simplify government policies and programmes considered complicated by many Nigerians and communicate them in ways that could be understood across different languages and communities.
He said the interactive session enabled the group to identify challenges confronting trade and market associations, particularly difficulties in accessing government support for their businesses, trades and professions.
He added that the group would engage relevant government agencies and institutions on the identified challenges to help connect the associations with the appropriate authorities and find solutions.
Dauda stressed that TGCG was not established as a political group, although politics remained relevant to discussions on government policies and leadership.
He said the group’s role was to help Nigerians understand the reasons behind government policies and programmes, including those initiated by the current administration and inherited from previous governments.
According to him, better understanding of such policies would enable Nigerians to make informed decisions about the country’s leadership and whether to support continuity in government.
“If you understand why the problem is existing, you will understand why you need to sacrifice,” he said.
Also speaking, Chairman of the Association for the Support and Development of Kano Traders Initiative (ASUDEKTI), Auwalu Gabari Jakada, described TGCG as a non-political group established to identify citizens at the grassroots who require government support and intervention.
Gabari said he had conveyed the demands of traders to the TGCG representatives, stressing that members wanted government support before elections rather than after elections.
He said the association also advises its members, particularly those learning trades under its platform, to support individuals or groups that contribute to their development.
“We are convinced with the TGCG’s statement of operation and willing to participate in their programme. They have given us a Support Group Registration Form which will capture the information of our members from different clusters to receive intervention,” he said.
Gabari said ASUDEKTI provides free skills acquisition training and called for support for beneficiaries to enable them sustain the businesses after completing the training.
He said the association also requested intervention for more than 20,000 Kano traders affected by economic challenges, which he said had affected imports and businesses within and outside Nigeria.
He urged the government to support small, medium and large-scale businesses, particularly small businesses that are predominantly operated at the local government level.