Growing up in Nigeria, Sadiq Inuwa witnessed first-hand the absence of workplace safety in his country.

“It is normal to see workers using bamboo sticks as their scaffold and ladders made out of wood. I have seen workers get covered in cement all day long without thinking about potential cement burns. The government does not have agencies dedicated to workers safety and this makes all sorts of violations slide.”

And in our country, as an intern at an oil company in Colorado he heard about an oil rig worker who lost his finger.  These events piqued his curiosity to enter the safety field.  Today, Sadiq attends Montana Tech, majoring in Occupational Safety & Health.  This passion for safety is paying off.

Growing Montana’s Safety Future
Sadiq is one of 20 college students who were recently awarded a $4,000 academic scholarship through Montana State Fund’s Growing a Safer Montana initiative.

The initiative was created in 2018 to educate young workers about the importance of workplace safety before they enter the workforce. One aspect of the initiative is to supply safety gear for Montana high school trade classrooms.

The other, is the scholarship program for students like Sadiq who are majoring in the safety and trade fields. Since the program’s inception, 87 students have received the competitive academic scholarships totaling $309,500.

Adrianna Morgan is another scholarship recipient. She is a Sustainable Construction Technology major at the University of Montana Missoula College. Her goal after her 2023 graduation is to use her creativity to design and build affordable and sustainable living spaces for people in the Missoula.  This includes small vacation rentals that lower income families can access.  

“I want to build homes that have the future in mind, and that allow people to enjoy life’s pleasures. I want to be at the forefront of all the changes that are going to be taking place soon, as far as sustainability goes. I know I have a lot to learn, but I think I have some innovative ideas.”

Sadiq explained that his scholarship makes it possible for him to carry out his dream to one day lead a company’s safety team.

“I want to learn and experience as much as I can in the safety industry and give that knowledge back to workers in the USA, my homeland Nigeria and the world at large.”

If Sadiq and Adrianna’s aspirations are examples of what Montana’s future workforce hopes to accomplish, our state is in good hands for growing a healthier, safer Montana.

View all of the 2022 scholarship recipients.

Click to learn more about the Growing a Safer Montana Initative.