The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) has launched a four-year skills development programme targeting 47,500 adolescent girls in Katsina State to promote self-reliance, entrepreneurship and employability.
The Skills for Girls programme, implemented in collaboration with the Katsina State Universal Basic Education Board (SUBEB), was launched on Monday, September 14, at the Katsina Tourist Lodge, with a three-day workshop, themed: “Engaging Girls, Amplifying Voices, Creating Opportunities,” which is expected to end on Wednesday, September 16.
The initiative, targets girls aged 10 to 19, including those in and out of school and those living with disabilities, and will run from 2026 to 2029 across Katsina, Funtua, Kaita and Dutsi local government areas.
UNICEF Adolescent Development Specialist, Ngozi Izuora-Songu, said the programme would focus on employability, entrepreneurship and community participation. She said a skills assessment would guide the selection of opportunities, while a three-day co-creation workshop would allow the girls to identify viable skills and share their needs, experiences and priorities.
She added that UNICEF would also engage parents, mentors, trainers, community leaders, boys and young men as allies in creating an environment where girls can thrive. Katsina SUBEB Chairman, Dr Kabir Magaji, thanked UNICEF for the partnership and urged the beneficiaries to maximise the opportunity to acquire skills that would enable them to support themselves, their families and communities.
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