2023
Annual
Impact Report
About UCAF
The Umar Creative Arts Foundation (UCAF) is a youth-led non-profit organisation established in 2022 in Zaria, Kaduna State. Founded out of an urgent necessity to address gaps in youth leadership, career development, and creative thinking, UCAF operates at the intersection of education, innovation, and community advocacy.
UCAF's mandate is to discover, nurture, and build systems that produce the next generation of thinkers, problem-solvers, and institutional leaders — through design thinking, mentorship, creative arts, and community-driven programs.
To transform education into a global system that produces thinkers, innovators, and institutional leaders.
To build a generation of leaders across the world who design, execute, and sustain solutions for societal transformation.
Core Values
"We started UCAF in 2022 not because we had all the answers, but because we believed deeply that young people in northern Nigeria deserve structured pathways to discover their potential, develop their ideas, and lead their communities. 2023 was our first full year of delivery — and it proved the concept."
2023 — Year in Numbers
Career & Talent Workshop 1.0 — Zaria, Kaduna State, 2023
Career & Talent Workshop 1.0
UCAF's inaugural Career & Talent Workshop was delivered in 2023 to secondary school students across Zaria and Sabon Gari. The program was designed to help young people discover their strengths, align them with career pathways, and build professional confidence — laying the groundwork for a structured youth development model.
Program Objectives
- Help students identify and articulate their talents and strengths
- Introduce students to a range of career pathways beyond their immediate environment
- Build professional communication and confidence skills
- Connect students with mentors and professionals in various fields
PIGTEC 2023
Professor Ibrahim Garba Talent Exhibition Center — Inaugural Edition
PIGTEC — UCAF's flagship innovation exhibition — made its debut in 2023, showcasing the creative and technical talents of secondary school students from across Zaria and Sabon Gari. The exhibition blended innovation showcases, community displays, and creative problem-solving challenges to create a high-energy celebration of young talent.
What We Did
- Student innovation showcases
- Technical demonstration booths
- Creative arts and performance
- Community open day
Who Participated
- Secondary school students
- Teachers and school administrators
- Community members and parents
- Youth mentors and professionals
The inaugural PIGTEC attracted over 1,000 students and community members — establishing itself as a landmark event for youth innovation in Zaria and laying the foundation for future editions.
Partners & Collaborations
In 2023, UCAF built its first institutional partnerships — establishing relationships that would underpin the organisation's credibility and expand its reach across communities in Kaduna State.
Empathy sessions, TED-Ed talks, student engagements. Our primary hub for program delivery.
Over 5 secondary schools hosted or participated in UCAF programs during 2023.
Practitioners who volunteered time to support Career Workshop sessions and inspire participants.
Introductory engagements with LGA education departments to formalise UCAF's school access.
Looking Ahead — 2024
- Launch of POPCAFEST24 and PIGTEC 2024 — scaled editions of our flagship events
- Expansion of the Career & Talent Workshop model to Kano State
- Development of the AIDeL platform — UCAF's AI-powered design thinking tool
- Formalise the Build Her leadership pipeline for young women in Kaduna State
- Establish a monitoring & evaluation framework for tracking participant outcomes