From Femi Mustapha, in Kaduna
The Kaduna State Government has made significant strides in empowering adolescent girls through a structured life skills education programme, reaching over 40,000 girls across the state.
Governor Uba Sani is set to present an Executive Bill to the Kaduna State House of Assembly to make life skills education a mandatory and permanent component of the state’s secondary school curriculum.
The life skills programme, implemented under the World Bank-supported Adolescent Girls Initiative for Learning and Empowerment (AGILE) Project, has reached 40,536 girls and 1,864 boys, with 1,141 teachers trained as mentors across senior secondary schools in the state. The program covers modules on empowerment, health and nutrition, reproductive health, prevention of gender-based violence, climate change, and social inclusion.
According to Commissioner for Education Prof. Abubakar Sani Sambo, the administration is committed to moving education beyond academic outcomes to build emotional intelligence, resilience, leadership skills, and social responsibility, particularly among girls. The reform represents a shift from a traditional “thinking” approach to education to a more holistic “doing and feeling” model.
Early results of the program include improved student confidence, reduced absenteeism, increased enrollment, and positive behavioral changes. The AGILE State Project Coordinator, Hajiya Maryam Sani Dangaji, confirmed that the program has been implemented across all senior secondary schools in Kaduna.
The proposed legislation has received support from the Chairman of the Kaduna State House of Assembly Committee on Education, Hon. Emmanuel Bako Kantiok, who assured that the legislature is ready to fast-track the passage of the bill once stakeholder consultations are concluded.
