 has launched an ambitious skills development programme targeting 35,000 adolescent girls in Katsina){kind=link}
By Abdullahi Inuwa
The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) has launched a major empowerment initiative aimed at training 35,000 adolescent girls in Katsina State in entrepreneurial and livelihood skills to make them economically self-reliant and better prepared for future employment.
The initiative, tagged Skills4Girls Programme, was launched on Monday during a co-creation session with adolescent girls at the Tourist Lodge Hotel, Katsina.
UNICEF Adolescent Development Specialist, Abuja, Ngozi Izuora-Songu, said the programme was designed to equip girls aged 10 to 19 with practical skills capable of opening doors to employment, entrepreneurship and sustainable livelihoods.
She said the broader objective was to ensure that the beneficiaries could use the skills acquired not only to improve their personal circumstances but also to make positive contributions to their communities.
According to her, the programme will initially be implemented in Katsina, Funtua, Kaita and Dutsi Local Government Areas, with entrepreneurship development and employability among its key areas of focus.
Izuora-Songu explained that Katsina was chosen as the first state for the programme following UNICEF’s assessment of the learning gap between boys and girls in the state.
She disclosed that the intervention would run from 2026 to 2029, with a total of 47,500 beneficiaries expected to be reached through its various components.
While 35,000 adolescent girls are the primary targets, she said 7,500 boys would also benefit from the initiative, alongside 5,000 teachers, mentors, trainers and community members in the selected local government areas.
The UNICEF specialist said the programme would deliberately promote inclusion by reaching both in-school and out-of-school girls, including those living with physical disabilities.
She explained that the beneficiaries would not be rushed into practical training, as the programme would first expose them to a theoretical and interactive phase.
During the initial stage, the girls would identify and discuss viable skills and economic opportunities available within their communities.
Izuora-Songu said the exercise would help UNICEF and its partners determine which skills were most relevant to local needs and likely to attract patronage, thereby increasing the chances of the beneficiaries turning their training into sustainable sources of income.
She described the Skills4Girls Programme as an extension of UNICEF’s ongoing interventions aimed at expanding opportunities and improving the prospects of young people across Nigeria.
Also speaking, the Executive Chairman of the Katsina State Universal Basic Education Board (SUBEB), Dr Kabir Magaji, said the initiative would complement efforts to reduce dependency among young people, particularly girls.
Magaji said the collaboration between UNICEF and SUBEB would give the beneficiaries access to skills capable of strengthening their economic independence and helping them contribute to their families.
He said the programme was also consistent with the Katsina State Government’s “Building Your Future” agenda, particularly its focus on youth empowerment and skills acquisition.
The SUBEB chairman urged the beneficiaries to take the training seriously and maximise the opportunity provided by UNICEF and the state government.
He encouraged the girls to acquire as much knowledge as possible, stressing that the skills could become a foundation for securing not only their own future but also that of their families and communities.
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