By Ishaka Mohammed
A son-in-law of Aliko Dangote, Captain Jamil Abubakar, has raised multimillion naira to support entrepreneurs in northern Nigeria. Captain Jamil, a pilot, is the son of former Inspector-General of Police Mohammed Dikko Abubakar.
On March 21, 2026, Captain Jamil tweeted his wish to attract investors to Arewa businesses, and by the end of the following day (March 22), he had already raised 100 million naira. He disclosed that he had asked other willing donors to wait until after the pilot phase of the initiative, the Arewa Business Support Fund.
He revealed that beneficiaries would receive interest-free business loans, which, when repaid, would be used to support more businesses. Beneficiaries would also enjoy free mentorship and consultancy.
Responding to concerns that fluency in English could be a barrier, the captain assured the public that local languages would feature prominently in the Fund’s activities, stressing that businesses domiciled in the North, regardless of ownership and owners’ language proficiency, would be considered.
He mentioned names of other stakeholders, including the acting financial secretary of the Fund, Mohammed Jammal (aka White Nigerian), Khalil Nur Khalil (economic adviser to Katsina State Government), and Mohammed Bello El-Rufai (a member of the House of Representatives), among others.
During a discussion among the stakeholders on X, it was revealed that Saleem Abubakar Musa (simply called Saleem) had been like a personal assistant to Captain Jamil.
On March 27, Saleem (@AM_Saleeeem) tweeted the summary of the subsequent activities of the Fund as follows:
“Next Steps:
– The website will be launched to the public soon, featuring comprehensive details, business templates, and practical guides (how to, when to, and what to do).
– Formal registration of the Arewa Business Support Fund as a legal entity, including banking and all required documentation.
– Nomination of Board of Trustees.
– Rollout of the pilot phase.”
However, the Fund will consider only existing businesses in the pilot phase; business ideas alone would be rejected.