UNICEF Partners with Local Organizations to Train 1,670 Out-of-School Girls in Kebbi State
The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) has successfully trained 1,670 out-of-school adolescent girls in Kebbi State, Nigeria, while empowering an additional 400 girls through a comprehensive skills development program. The initiative represents a collaborative effort between UNICEF, the Kebbi Ministry of Women Affairs, and the NANA Foundation.
The training program focused on equipping vulnerable adolescent girls with practical skills to improve their economic prospects and social integration. Participants received instruction in various vocational trades and life skills designed to provide sustainable income opportunities and reduce their vulnerability to exploitation.
UNICEF’s intervention addresses Nigeria’s significant out-of-school children crisis, which affects millions of young people nationwide. Kebbi State, located in northwestern Nigeria, faces particular challenges with educational access, especially for girls who often encounter cultural and economic barriers to formal schooling.
The partnership with local organizations demonstrates UNICEF’s strategy of working through established community networks to maximize program reach and sustainability. The Ministry of Women Affairs provided governmental support and policy framework, while the NANA Foundation contributed grassroots expertise and community connections.
This skills training initiative forms part of broader efforts to achieve Sustainable Development Goal 4, which aims to ensure inclusive and equitable quality education for all. The program specifically targets adolescent girls who have been excluded from traditional educational pathways, offering them alternative routes to personal and economic empowerment.
