Girls participating in life skills training at a CGE Safe Space, part of Kaduna State’s initiative under the AGILE project.
Kaduna State is taking decisive steps to include life skills education into its public school curriculum, as part of efforts to equip girls with the knowledge and confidence to navigate life beyond the classroom.
The announcement was made during a media briefing organized under the Adolescent Girls Initiative for Learning and Empowerment (AGILE) project, in collaboration with the Centre for Girls’ Education (CGE).
Speaking at the event, Maryam Albashir, Deputy Director at CGE, who represented the Executive Director of the organisation Habiba MMohammed described the engagement as a landmark moment for education in Kaduna. “What we have concluded today is not just another meeting. It marks a clear transition from project-based experimentation to system-level reform in how we prepare young people, especially girls, for life beyond the classroom.”
CGE has been active for more than 18 years across Northern Nigeria, pioneering the Safe Space model a mentored approach combining life skills, literacy, numeracy, health education, and leadership training in trusted community environments.
Mrs Mohammed noted that the focus has shifted from questioning the value of life skills to exploring how they can be sustainably embedded in the education system. “Life skills are not ‘soft outcomes.’ They are foundational capabilities that protect learning, dignity, and future opportunity,” she added.
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The forum also highlighted the draft bill to institutionalize life skills as a co-curricular subject in public secondary schools.
According to Mrs Mohammed, the proposed reform is expected to impact learners, teachers, and the broader education system, with special emphasis on girls’ education, protection, and long-term life outcomes.
“Evidence from AGILE, supported by the World Bank, and other initiatives, such as UNFPA’s Adolescent Girls Initiative, has demonstrated improved school retention, delayed marriage, stronger decision-making, and healthier school-family-community relationships”.
Hon. Mahmud Ismaila, Chairman of the Kaduna State House of Assembly Committee on Education, emphasized the legislative commitment to the reform. “The bill is all about ensuring our students are protected and receive quality education in terms of life skills. We assure the participants that the Assembly will work on the draft bill to see its speedy passage into law.”
Ismaila outlined three key considerations: ensuring the bill covers its intended objectives, avoiding duplication of existing laws, and guaranteeing implementability once passed. He also recommended forming a technical committee to refine the policy for immediate action pending the bill’s approval.
Supporting this perspective, Dr. Suwaiba Ibrahim, Executive Chairman of the Kaduna State Senior Secondary School Education Board, underscored the importance of security and sustainability in implementing life skills programs: “We must ensure that the resources expended for the program are sustainable and that implementers operate in safe locations. This will secure the long-term impact of life skills education.”
Mariam Dangaji, AGILE Project Coordinator in Kaduna State, emphasized the need for stakeholder collaboration to achieve successful institutionalization: “Critical stakeholders, including religious and community leaders, parents, and government ministries, must buy into the process. This engagement ensures the program is contextually relevant and widely supported.”
CGE’s life skills framework targets girls across different educational stages, including pre-primary learners, out-of-school girls, and senior secondary students. The curriculum includes basic literacy, numeracy, financial education, vocational skills, and specialized STEM preparation for girls aspiring to careers in science, health, or education.
Mrs Mohammed concluded that: “Institutionalizing life skills is about redefining what quality education means. Kaduna State is positioning itself as a leader, not only in Northern Nigeria but across the region. When systems work for girls, they work better for everyone.”
The media briefing underscores a collaborative push by state authorities, CGE, AGILE, and development partners to ensure life skills education becomes a permanent, scalable, and sustainable part of Kaduna’s public school system.
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