In a significant step towards empowering young Nigerians, the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) has successfully equipped 95,556 adolescent girls and boys across six local government areas in Katsina State with valuable skills.
Through its Reaching and Empowering Adolescent Girls in North-west Nigeria (REACH) programme, UNICEF has provided training in financial literacy, safe spaces, and various vocational skills aimed at boosting school enrollment, retention, and completion rates.
The program, which benefitted children from Katsina, Kafur, Kankara, Rimi, Baure, and Mani, focused on life-changing skills such as knitting, crochet, henna design, cap making, and throw pillow creation. These skills were designed to not only support education but also give the youths a foundation for future income generation.
Speaking at the town-hall meeting held to review the program’s impact, UNICEF Adolescent Development Specialist, Ngozi Izuora-Songu, emphasized that out-of-school girls and survivors of gender-based violence (GBV) were key beneficiaries. “These skills align with local market needs, ensuring that the products made by the adolescents are highly sellable within their communities,” Izuora-Songu stated.
Additionally, medical test kits were provided to six health centers in the state to aid GBV survivors, while over 150 community leaders, law enforcement personnel, and health workers were trained to handle GBV cases effectively. The meeting, held in collaboration with the Katsina State Universal Basic Education Board (SUBEB), also facilitated crucial conversations about improving adolescent girls’ transition from primary to secondary school.
With this initiative, UNICEF continues to make significant strides in supporting the education and well-being of young people in Nigeria.
