Kano introduces life skills, home farming programme for secondary school students

Kano State is set to introduce a five-month pilot programme aimed at equipping senior secondary school students with essential life skills and practical home farming techniques alongside their formal education.

The initiative, being implemented by the Society for Child Support and Economic Empowerment (SOCSEE) in partnership with Room to Read, will run from August to December 2026 across six Local Government Areas of Nasarawa, Fagge, Dala, Gwale, Kano Municipal and Kumbotso.

Speaking during a strategic one-day stakeholders’ meeting organised by (SOCSEE) in Kano, the organisation’s Executive Director, Sunusi Hashim, said the meeting was convened to review the project documentation and curriculum ahead of implementation.

He explained that the review was intended to ensure the programme reflects the religious, cultural and social values of the communities where it will be implemented.

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According to Yasin, the programme targets both male and female students in senior secondary schools and will focus on practical knowledge that can help young people become more self-reliant.

He said the curriculum would introduce students to modern agricultural practices, home-based farming techniques and essential life skills, with the broader objective of addressing gaps in practical knowledge and household development.

Yasin said the organisers were hopeful that the initiative would produce tangible improvements in the lives of participating students and contribute to positive social change within their communities.

PTA backs skills-based education

The Chairman of the Kano State Parents Teachers Association (PTA), Dalhatu Salihu Mai-Jimri, expressed strong support for the initiative, describing practical skills acquisition as increasingly necessary given the changing economic realities facing young Nigerians.

PTA chairman reiterates his position, noting that formal education alone could no longer guarantee employment, as the number of graduates seeking jobs continues to outstrip available opportunities.

He cited a situation where more than 100,000 applicants could compete for only a handful of available positions, stressing the need to prepare students for alternatives to conventional employment.

He said equipping young people with practical skills would enable them to create opportunities for themselves rather than depend entirely on government or corporate jobs.

“When you complete your studies, coming out to look for a job is a very difficult thing. But nowadays, as this association is trying to introduce a new formula to our children, this thing will help the people of Kano State, it will help the government, and even the Federal Republic of Nigeria.”

Mai-Jimri added that the initiative could produce significant social and economic benefits if properly implemented.

SBMC: Certificates alone are no longer enough

Also speaking at the meeting, the Chairman of the Kano State chapter of the School-Based Management Committee (SBMC), Tijjani Haladu Baraya, backed the integration of vocational and practical skills into secondary school education.

Baraya argued that relying solely on academic certificates was no longer sufficient in an economy where government and corporate organisations could not absorb every graduate.

“We cannot expect every student who completes school to secure a government job.”

He said practical training, particularly for young women, could strengthen self-reliance, improve household incomes and enable young people to contribute more meaningfully to the local economy.

According to him, the proposed approach would give participating students a combination of academic education and practical vocational skills, potentially leaving them better prepared for life after secondary school.

The stakeholders identified vocational and practical skill integration, youth economic self-reliance and stronger collaboration among education stakeholders and development partners as key components of the initiative.

The five-month pilot will cover the six selected LGAs, with stakeholders expected to continue working together to ensure that the programme is culturally appropriate, effectively delivered and capable of producing sustainable benefits for participating students and their communities.