Kaduna State says Government more than 40,000 adolescent girls have benefited from a structured life skills education programme, as part of steps to institutionalized life skills education in all public secondary schools.
This was contained in a statement issued by the Ministry of Information, which reveals that Governor Uba Sani is preparing to forward 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 so far reached 40,536 girls and 1,864 boys.
In addition, 1,141 teachers have been trained as mentors across senior secondary schools in Kaduna State.
The Commissioner for Education, Prof. Abubakar Sani Sambo, disclosed this at a strategic workshop in Abuja focused on the institutionalisation of life skills education. Speaking on behalf of Governor Uba Sani, he said the administration is committed to expanding education beyond academic performance to intentionally develop emotional intelligence, resilience, leadership capacity and social responsibility, particularly among adolescent girls.
According to him, the reform marks a deliberate shift from a traditional “thinking” approach to education to a more holistic “doing and feeling” model, aimed at better equipping students to navigate real-life challenges.
He explained that the life skills curriculum includes modules on personal empowerment, health and nutrition, reproductive health, prevention of gender-based violence, climate change awareness and social inclusion.
The Ministry of Information noted that early outcomes of the programme include increased self-confidence among students, reduced absenteeism, improved enrolment rates and positive behavioural changes, such as greater empathy and mutual respect among learners.
Also speaking, the AGILE State Project Coordinator, Hajiya Maryam Sani Dangaji, confirmed that the programme has been implemented across all senior secondary schools in the state.
Meanwhile, the Executive Director of the Centre for Girls’ Education, Dr. Habiba Mohammed, described Kaduna’s model as a benchmark for sustainable, girl-child–focused education reform in Nigeria.
Reacting to the proposed legislation, the Chairman of the Kaduna State House of Assembly Committee on Education, Emmanuel Bako Kantiok, assured stakeholders that the legislature is prepared to fast-track the passage of the bill following the completion of consultations.
According to the Ministry, the proposed law will provide a clear legal framework and dedicated funding, ensuring that life skills education—particularly for the girl-child—remains a compulsory and integral part of Kaduna State’s public education system for generations to come.
PR: Adamu Yusuf
