OurNigeria News Awards 2025: Usman Sa’idu Aliyu to Receive Lifetime Achievement Award in Community Service
OurNigeria News Awards 2025: Usman Sa’idu Aliyu to Receive Lifetime Achievement Award in Community Service
By Matthew Eloyi
Usman Sa’idu Aliyu, a respected grassroots leader and philanthropist popularly known by his traditional title “Santurakin Kuto of Deba”, has been selected to receive the Lifetime Achievement Award in Community Service at the 7th OurNigeria News Awards.
The award ceremony is slated for Saturday, January 31, 2026, at the Abuja Continental Hotel. Organised by OurNigeria News Magazine, the prestigious annual event is expected to attract top government officials, diplomats, policymakers and influential personalities from across Africa and beyond, in celebration of excellence, leadership and outstanding contributions to journalism, governance and national development.
Born on May 25, 1980, Usman Sa’idu Aliyu is a native of Deba Town in Yamaltu-Deba Local Government Area of Gombe State, where he has devoted much of his life to community service, youth empowerment and grassroots development. He is widely admired for his hands-on approach to addressing social challenges and improving living conditions in rural communities.
An administrator by training, Aliyu holds a Higher National Diploma in Public Administration from Jigawa State Polytechnic, Dutse, obtained in 2017, as well as an Advanced Diploma and Diploma in Public Administration from Jigawa State Polytechnic and Kaduna State Polytechnic respectively. He is fluent in Tera, Hausa and English, enabling effective engagement across diverse communities.
Professionally, Aliyu has demonstrated strong entrepreneurial capacity as the Chief Executive Director of Saraki Multi Dimensional Trade, a private enterprise he has led since 2015. Beyond business, he is the Chief Executive Officer of the Santuraki Foundation, a non-governmental organisation dedicated to humanitarian service and community development across Yamaltu-Deba and neighbouring areas.
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In recognition of his selfless service and leadership, he was turbaned in 2023 as Santurakin Kuto of Deba, a traditional title that underscores his role as a bridge between traditional institutions and modern development efforts.
Through the Santuraki Foundation, Aliyu has implemented wide-ranging social responsibility initiatives that have transformed lives at the grassroots. These include youth empowerment programmes benefiting over 5,000 young men, women empowerment schemes supporting about 5,000 beneficiaries, provision of school scholarships, and the construction and renovation of primary and Islamiyya schools.
His impact also extends to infrastructure and basic amenities, with projects such as construction of rural roads, rural electrification, and drilling of boreholes to improve access to clean water in underserved communities. Known as a peace advocate, Aliyu is also committed to conflict resolution, frequently intervening to reconcile disputing parties and promote communal harmony.
A skilled carpenter by training, with expertise in furniture design and construction, he combines technical skills with administrative leadership and humanitarian passion. In his personal time, he enjoys reading, travelling and engaging in discussions on intellectual, national and political issues.
According to the organisers of the OurNigeria News Awards, Aliyu was selected for the Lifetime Achievement Award in Community Service due to his “consistent, long-term and measurable contributions to community development, empowerment of vulnerable groups and promotion of peace at the grassroots.”
The honour places Usman Sa’idu Aliyu among distinguished Nigerians whose lifelong commitment to service continues to inspire inclusive development and social progress across the country.
