40,000 Kaduna Girls Get Life Skills Education Program

More than 40,000 teenage girls in Nigeria's Kaduna State are learning skills that textbooks never taught their parents.

Governor Uba Sani is moving to make life skills education a permanent, mandatory part of every public secondary school curriculum in the state. The decision follows a successful pilot program that reached 40,536 girls and 1,864 boys across senior secondary schools.

The program teaches practical skills that help young people navigate real life. Students learn about emotional intelligence, leadership, health and nutrition, reproductive health, and how to prevent gender-based violence. They also study climate change and social inclusion.

Early results show the approach is working. Teachers report that students have gained self-confidence and improved their relationships with classmates. School attendance has increased, and more families are enrolling their daughters.

The initiative operates under the World Bank-supported Adolescent Girls Initiative for Learning and Empowerment Project. So far, 1,141 teachers have been trained as mentors to deliver the new curriculum across all senior secondary schools in the state.

Professor Abubakar Sani Sambo, Kaduna's Education Commissioner, says the reform moves beyond rote memorization toward teaching students how to think and solve problems. The goal is helping young people, especially girls, become responsible community leaders.

The Ripple Effect

Dr. Habiba Mohammed from the Centre for Girls' Education calls Kaduna's approach "a model for sustainable, girl-child-focused education reform in Nigeria." Other states are watching closely as the program demonstrates how schools can prepare students for life beyond exams.

The proposed legislation has strong support. Emmanuel Kantiok, who chairs the Kaduna State House of Assembly Committee on Education, says lawmakers are ready to fast-track the bill once consultations wrap up.

Maryam Dangaji, the AGILE State Project Coordinator, emphasizes that the wide coverage ensures no girl gets left behind in accessing education critical to her personal and social development.

The new law would give life skills education firm legal and budgetary backing, making it a permanent fixture in Kaduna schools for generations to come.