No fewer than 40,000 adolescent girls in Kaduna State have benefited from a structured life skills education programme as Governor Uba Sani moves to institutionalise the initiative across public secondary schools in the state.
The Kaduna State Government said the programme forms part of broader efforts to strengthen girl-child education and equip students with practical competencies that go beyond classroom academics. The initiative is designed to prepare young people for real-life challenges while supporting their personal, social and emotional development.
In a statement issued on Friday by the State Commissioner for Information, Ahmed Maiyaki, the government disclosed that Governor Sani would soon transmit an Executive Bill to the Kaduna State House of Assembly to make life skills education a compulsory and permanent component of the secondary school curriculum.
According to the statement, the programme is being implemented under the Adolescent Girls Initiative for Learning and Empowerment Project, which is supported by the World Bank. It added that the intervention had so far reached 40,536 girls and 1,864 boys across senior secondary schools in the state.
The statement further revealed that 1,141 teachers have been trained as mentors to deliver the life skills curriculum, ensuring sustainability and effective integration into the school system.
The Commissioner for Education, Prof. Abubakar Sani Sambo, disclosed these details at a strategic workshop on the institutionalisation of life skills education held in Abuja. Representing Governor Sani at the event, Sambo said the administration was committed to repositioning education to focus not only on academic excellence but also on emotional intelligence, resilience and leadership.
“Our goal is to deliberately build life skills that will help young people, especially girls, navigate real-life challenges and become responsible leaders in their communities,” the statement quoted him as saying.
Sambo explained that the reform marked a shift from a traditional learning model that prioritises rote thinking to a more holistic approach that emphasises practical application, self-awareness and emotional development. He noted that the life skills curriculum covers empowerment, health and nutrition, reproductive health, prevention of gender-based violence, climate change and social inclusion.
According to the Commissioner, early outcomes from the programme include improved self-confidence among students, reduced absenteeism and increased school enrolment across participating schools. The statement added that positive behavioural changes have also been observed, including better interpersonal relationships, greater respect for diversity and improved empathy among learners.
The AGILE State Project Coordinator, Maryam Dangaji, confirmed that the programme has been implemented across all senior secondary schools in Kaduna State. She said the wide coverage was designed to ensure that no girl was left behind in accessing life skills education critical to her personal and social development.
Commenting on the proposed legislation, the Executive Director of the Centre for Girls’ Education, Dr Habiba Mohammed, described Kaduna’s approach as “a model for sustainable, girl-child-focused education reform in Nigeria.”
Reacting to the move, the Chairman of the Kaduna State House of Assembly Committee on Education, Emmanuel Kantiok, said lawmakers were prepared to fast-track the bill, assuring stakeholders that the Assembly would give the initiative firm legal and budgetary backing once consultations are concluded.
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