Impact Report 2014–2026
From digital skills to income.What we have delivered across Northern Nigeria.
Programmes for young people, women, persons with disabilities and smallholder farmers, delivered with the World Bank-supported IDEAS programme, GIZ, the African Development Bank and others. Each claim is labelled by how strongly we can prove it.
- Documented
- Publicly reported
- Institutional record
IDEAS TVET Creative Demo Day and Investor Pitching Event, Kano, 2026.
Headline results
105
young people completed the IDEAS TVET Creative Media programme
January to July 2026
Documented97.1%
of graduates economically active at completion
102 of 105
Documented45.7%
of the cohort were women
48 of 105, with persons with disabilities included
Documented~36,000
farmer records merged, de-duplicated and validated
Kano SAPZ master dataset
Documented500
smallholder farmers in the GIZ-backed digital transformation project
Kano
Documented15,000+
people trained since 2012
Across all programmes
Institutional record
Flagship result
IDEAS TVET Creative Media Production, January to July 2026
A six-month, competency-based programme delivered with the World Bank-supported IDEAS Project and the Federal Ministry of Education. 105 young people (57 men and 48 women) trained in filmmaking, photography, editing, motion graphics, digital storytelling and the business skills to sell them.
Every graduate went through industry mentorship, internship placement and startup incubation, and presented portfolio-grade capstone work to producers, employers and investors at a public Demo Day.
Read the full IDEAS TVET Impact Report (PDF, 3 MB)
Where the 105 graduates are
- Economically active102 of 105 · 97.1%
- Reported paid activity68 of 105 · 64.8%
- Self-employed55 of 105 · 52.4%
- Part-time employed23 of 105 · 21.9%
- Full-time employed15 of 105 · 14.3%
- Contract assignments9 of 105 · 8.6%
Source: DD Hub graduate outcome survey, n = 105. Categories are reported separately and are not a single additive total.
Where they started
- 68.6%had never received formal digital skills training
- 88%owned a smartphone, yet only 43% had access to a computer
- 48%wanted to start their own business
- 75%had been job-hunting for a year or more
Source: baseline assessment at programme entry.
From training to enterprise
Most of the 42 businesses were founded in 2026. Formalisation is the next priority, because registration unlocks grants, contracts and bank accounts.
Systems left behind
- Internal quality assurance, aligned to the National Skills Qualification Framework
- Monitoring, evaluation and learning system
- Safeguarding framework and grievance redress mechanism
- Occupational health and safety system
- Environmental and social safeguards, and an e-waste protocol
- Studios, editing suites, networking labs, and upgraded fire and first-aid provision
Partner remarks
“The IDEAS TVET project component, delivered by Digital Development Hub, reflects exactly the kind of outcome the IDEAS Project was designed to achieve: young Nigerians moving from limited digital exposure to income-generating, industry-relevant skills within a single competency-based cycle.”
On a monitoring visit, the NPCU met trainees such as Shamsiya Maruf Mustapha, who began earning from editing video content for a YouTube channel while still in training.
On quality assurance
“Over the course of implementation, the NPCU observed a training provider that took quality assurance seriously. DD Hub's development of an internal quality assurance framework aligned to the National Skills Qualification Framework, alongside its safeguarding, grievance redress, and occupational health and safety systems, represents the kind of institutional maturity the IDEAS Project seeks to build into its implementing partners, not just for the duration of a single programme cycle, but as lasting infrastructure for future cohorts.”
On scaling the model
“Looking ahead, the National Project Coordination Unit sees strong potential for this model to be replicated across other TVET focus areas and, subject to the standard IDEAS Project review processes, considered for scale-up in future programming cycles. DD Hub's expansion of its own training portfolio into immersive technologies, GIS, broadcasting, and digital product design suggests an implementing partner capable of absorbing that kind of expanded mandate.”
In their words
Graduates on what changed.
What captivated me was my area of specialization — creating AI videos. I created a TikTok account and, in under a month, gained over 26,000 followers and 176,000 likes. I'm now eyeing commercialization of the account and focusing on content for entrepreneurs and startups.
Fatima Muhammad UsmanGraduate, AI Video Content Creation gig track This project has been highly transformative for me. Within six months, I've come away with a functional marketing company that earns me a living. This is huge for me — the experience meant the world.
Vivian AmengerGraduate, Enterprise Development gig track Before this transformational journey, we used our phones only for calls and other unproductive things. Now I've learned how to create advertorial content, deploy it on social media, generate followers, convert them to customers, and retain them for greater income.
Zaliha Sani TahirGraduate, Creative Media Production Through my journey under the DD Hub programme, I gained experience I never imagined having. I am now satisfied with my status as an economically competitive youth, ready to face the market with the skills I've earned.
Jafar Isah JafarGraduate, Creative Media Production I'm grateful to DD Hub and the Nigerian government. This project is one of the best uses of my time, and its future impact on my life will be transformative.
Stephen AnyamGraduate, Creative Media Production 
Abdulganiyu Rufai Yakub, Founder & CEOReported by Economic Confidential, 8 January 2026 “The Demo Day was a proof of concept; the incubation programme is our proof of impact.”
Quotes as published in the IDEAS TVET Impact Report, 2026.
Watch them tell it themselves
Zaliha Sani TahirGraduate, IDEAS TVET Creative Media Production Ja'afar Isa Ja'afarGraduate, IDEAS TVET Creative Media Production Abubakar Sadiq AbdulhamidTrainee, IDEAS TVET Creative Media Production Ahmad Muhammad SalisTrainee, IDEAS TVET Creative Media Production Auwal Ibrahim AdamuTrainee, IDEAS TVET Creative Media Production Zulaihat Rufa'i YakubTrainee, IDEAS TVET Creative Media Production
Who this is for
The same evidence, read the way you need it.
Donors & development partners
Delivery you can audit, inclusion you can measure, systems that outlast the grant.
- World Bank-supported IDEAS programme delivered on schedule, with a published impact report.
- Outcome definitions and denominators stated beside every headline figure.
- Safeguarding, grievance redress and M&E systems now in place.
Government & public institutions
A delivery partner that fits public programmes and reports in the format you need.
- Delivered under a Federal Ministry of Education programme, with a National Project Coordination Unit review.
- Farmer-data harmonisation for a state agro-industrial programme at 36,000-record scale.
- Policy work: 2024 Nigerian Innovation Fund brief and the 6th Policy Dialogue on the digital innovation ecosystem, Uyo.
Investors & DFIs
A social enterprise with a revenue engine, a pipeline and honest numbers.
- Commercial consulting and training revenue funds community programmes; 10–20% of net commercial profit goes to the Impact Fund.
- 42 graduate-led businesses profiled, near gender parity, and a named formalisation gap we are working on.
- Venture Builder track and incubation pipeline from the Demo Day.
NGOs, hubs & implementing partners
A technical partner for data, training, M&E and community reach in the North.
- Peace and CVE programming with Equal Access: fellowship and hackathon covering 19 northern states.
- Voice and hotline systems, and M&E backstopping, for a multi-state North East programme.
- Founding member of national innovation networks since 2017.
Clients, young people & startups
Skills that lead to income, and a route from idea to enterprise.
- Six-month, studio-based training with a portfolio, capstone and Demo Day.
- Enterprise gig tracks and incubation for graduates with viable ideas.
- DD Hub Academy opening for new cohorts, and services you can commission.
Sectors
Five fields, one method: skills, data, enterprise.
Skills, TVET & employment
Competency-based training that ends in a portfolio, a client and a first income.
- DocumentedIDEAS TVET Creative Media Production: 105 trained, 97.1% economically active at completion.
- Publicly reportedTech Bridge Fellowship: 200 participants trained in digital product design, precision agriculture, GIS and content management; 40 ventures selected for incubation.
- Institutional recordTech Bridge Women: 150 women trained (2025 to date).
- Institutional recordReLearn and the DD Hub Tech Fellowship since 2016.
Agriculture & rural livelihoods
Data, content and digital tools that reach smallholder farmers in their own language.
- DocumentedKano SAPZ farmer profiling: about 36,000 records harmonised into one validated master dataset (completed October 2026).
- DocumentedGIZ Digital Transformation for Smallholder Farmers, Kano: 500 farmers; mobilisation and baseline under way.
- Publicly reported2022 NASENI and Decapolis (Jordan) digital food-traceability partnership, with Lafia and Calabar named as pilot sites.
- Publicly reportedE-Green Nigeria: the #1student1tree campaign at Bayero University Kano (2016) opened with over 300 seedlings, towards a campus target of 3,000 trees.
- DocumentedTAAT (AfDB / IFDC): Hausa farmer-learning videos, translated rice-technology explainers, and a farmer engagement platform over WhatsApp, SMS and bot.
Peace, civic & community systems
Technology for early warning, dialogue and counter-extremism work.
- DocumentedUSAID NERI: multilingual toll-free hotline in Hausa, Kanuri and Fulfulde; 1,507 calls from Adamawa, Borno and Yobe, January to August 2017.
- DocumentedEqual Access Peace Promoters: five-day Tech Camp for 32 participants and technical mentoring for 20 fellows, from November 2017.
- Institutional recordEqual Access Peace Promoters Fellowship (2022–23): 30 young people from 19 northern states.
- DocumentedKaduna Peace Connect: a virtual stakeholder management system built for the Kaduna State Peace Commission, coordinating peacebuilding CSOs across the state.
- Institutional recordCVE / Social Impact Hackathon (2022): 30 teams from 19 northern states.
- Institutional recordHate-speech monitoring and a Hausa lexicon with CITAD and PeaceTech Lab; the CATRIS incident-reporting system.
Enterprise, innovation & MSMEs
From idea to registered, revenue-earning business.
- Documented42 graduate-led businesses profiled: 45.2% female-owned, 23.8% CAC-registered, with formalisation the next push.
- DocumentedGIZ Digital Transformation Centre MSME training (October 2025): 35 Kano MSMEs, 19 women and 16 men; all 27 survey respondents would recommend it.
- Institutional record15+ startups incubated since 2017.
Policy & ecosystem leadership
Convening the people who build Nigeria's innovation economy.
- DocumentedAuthored a 2024 policy brief on establishing and scaling a Nigeria Innovation Fund, sponsored by GIZ DTC and the Innovation Support Network.
- DocumentedModerated the policy dialogue on Nigeria's digital innovation ecosystem in Uyo (November 2024), and authored its report and adoption strategy.
- Institutional recordFounding member of the Innovation Support Network and Animators Nigeria; co-founder of TISNI and AFIN.
- Publicly reportedDD Hub's CEO chaired the Organising Committee of the ISN Annual Gathering 2025, held in Kano.
Impact · The Global Goals
What our results add up to.Eight Global Goals.
Our results map to eight Sustainable Development Goals through five focus areas: digital inclusion, zero hunger, decent employment, improved livelihoods, and inclusion of persons with disabilities and women. Each goal below shows a result from this report.
Partner on a goalDigital inclusion
Digital skills, tools and access for people the digital economy leaves out.
- SDG 4: Quality Education
- SDG 9: Industry, Innovation & Infrastructure
- SDG 10: Reduced Inequalities
Zero hunger
Data and digital tools that help farmers produce more and reach markets.
- SDG 2: Zero Hunger
Decent employment
Training that ends in a job, a gig, a placement or a business.
- SDG 8: Decent Work & Economic Growth
Improved livelihoods
Steadier, higher incomes for young people, farmers and small businesses.
- SDG 8: Decent Work & Economic Growth
- SDG 2: Zero Hunger
PWD and women inclusion
Programmes designed with and for persons with disabilities and women.
- SDG 5: Gender Equality
- SDG 10: Reduced Inequalities
- SDG2
Zero Hunger
Digital agriculture that helps smallholder farmers grow more and sell better.
500 farmers on GIZ Innovation Platforms · ~36,000 farmer records harmonised
- SDG4
Quality Education
Market-relevant digital and technical skills through DD Hub Academy and TVET programmes.
15,000+ young people trained since 2012
- SDG5
Gender Equality
Programmes designed with and for women, from digital skills to enterprise.
Tech Bridge Fellowship for youth, women and PWDs · 19 of 35 DBOT entrepreneurs were women
- SDG8
Decent Work & Economic Growth
Skills that turn into income: jobs, gigs, placements and new businesses.
97.1% of IDEAS TVET graduates economically active at completion
- SDG9
Industry, Innovation & Infrastructure
An innovation hub in Kano, with incubation, data systems and automation.
15+ startups incubated · 40 Tech Bridge ventures selected
- SDG10
Reduced Inequalities
Reaching persons with disabilities and underserved Northern youth first.
Social Impact programmes part-funded by the Impact Fund
- SDG16
Peace, Justice & Strong Institutions
Civic technology and youth-led work for peace, since our first civic-tech grant in 2012.
Kaduna Peace Connect for the State Peace Commission · Peace Promoters Fellowship
- SDG17
Partnerships for the Goals
A delivery partner for development banks, governments, NGOs and companies.
Delivered with the World Bank, GIZ, AfDB, FCDO, Kano State and more
The Sustainable Development Goals are set by the United Nations. We show them to explain our focus; this is not a UN endorsement of DD Hub.
Where we work
Rooted in Kano, reaching across the North and beyond.
Core presence · North West
Kano
Headquarters and training hub: IDEAS TVET, farmer data, GIZ programmes, DD Hub Academy
Kaduna
Training delivery, and Kaduna Peace Connect for the State Peace Commission
Katsina
Digital and creative-media skills under the IDEAS programme
Jigawa
Training delivery
Extended reach · North East
Borno, Yobe, Adamawa, Bauchi, Gombe and Taraba
M&E and ICT backstopping, data gathering and an IVR hotline (NERI programme)
Digital agriculture pilot sites
Lafia, Nasarawa
Digital food-traceability pilot site
Calabar, Cross River
Digital food-traceability pilot site
Corporate & commercial
Abuja (FCT)
Corporate presence; policy, partner and investor engagement
Lagos
Commercial and corporate presence
Across the North and beyond
19 northern states
Peace Promoters Fellowship and CVE hackathon participants (2022)
Jordan
Technology partnerships, including Decapolis and the Embassy of Nigeria in Amman
Capabilities
What you can commission from us.
- 01
Programme design & delivery
Competency-based training, cohort management, mentorship, internships and Demo Days, run to donor reporting standards.
- 02
Data systems & digital transformation
Survey design, KoBo pipelines, cleaning and harmonisation at 30,000+ records; IVR and hotline channels.
- 03
Monitoring, evaluation & learning
Baselines, process evaluation, tracer surveys, and indicator definitions you can audit.
- 04
Enterprise incubation & acceleration
Business coaching, pitching, formalisation support and investor linkages, including the NORTHSTAR model.
- 05
Local-language content & extension
Hausa audiovisual learning on farming, with subtitles for wider audiences.
- 06
Safeguarding & inclusion systems
Grievance redress, health and safety, and deliberate inclusion of women and persons with disabilities.
Journey
Fourteen years, built step by step.
2012
DD Hub begins as a community technology initiative.
2014
Major operations and projects begin in Kano.
2016
Registered with the Corporate Affairs Commission; E-Green Nigeria's #1student1tree campaign launched at Bayero University Kano.
2017
Incubation begins; NERI M&E and ICT backstopping; Animators Nigeria founded.
2018
First Conference of Crazy Ideas held in Kano, themed "Rethinking the Thought".
2019
Founding member of the Innovation Support Network.
2022
Peace Promoters Fellowship; CVE hackathon; NASENI and Decapolis partnership.
2024
Innovation Fund policy brief; Uyo policy dialogue.
2025
GIZ MSME programme; Tech Bridge Women; AFIN co-founded; DD Hub's CEO chairs the Organising Committee of the ISN Annual Gathering, held in Kano.
2026
IDEAS TVET completed; Kano SAPZ data consultancy; GIZ smallholder project; DD Hub Academy launched.
How to read these numbers
Evidence, defined.
- “Economically active” means the 102 of 105 graduates recorded as self-employed, full-time, part-time or contract workers; it excludes the 3 recorded as unemployed.
- “Reported paid activity” (64.8%, 68 of 105) is the graduates marked as paid in the outcome survey. It is not a measure of monthly income.
- “Self-employed” (52.4%) describes employment status, not business registration. Registration comes from the separate 42-business profile (23.8% CAC-registered).
- These are completion-stage results. A follow-up tracer study will test whether they hold over time.
- Documented
- Held in a programme report, signed contract or dated submission to the partner.
- Publicly reported
- Reported by a named public source.
- Institutional record
- Stated in DD Hub's records; supporting documents are available to partners on request.
Partner with us.
Tell us your programme, your geography and your reporting needs. We will show you the evidence that matters to you.