From Muawuya Bala Idris, Katsina
In a significant effort to improve access to education, the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), in collaboration with the Katsina State Government, has empowered no fewer than 95,556 adolescent girls through skills acquisition and psychosocial support programmes.
The beneficiaries, drawn from six local government areas—Katsina, Kafur, Kankara, Rimi, Baure, and Mani—were trained under the Reaching and Empowering Adolescent Girls in Northwest Nigeria (REACH) initiative. The programme targeted out-of-school children and victims of gender-based violence, offering them financial literacy and vocational skills such as tailoring, henna decoration, cap making, knitting, and pillow-making.
Speaking on Monday at a town hall meeting held at Katsina College, UNICEF Adolescent Development Specialist, Ms. Ngozi Izuora-Songu, said the initiative had supported girls to return to school or pursue productive alternatives.
“We are here to take stock and celebrate the gains of REACH, which has provided mentorship, safe spaces, and life skills to thousands of girls,” she said.
Director of Planning and Statistics, Katsina State Universal Basic Education Board (SUBEB), Mr. Tanimu Muazu, commended the collaboration, stressing that Governor Dikko Umaru Radda remains committed to quality education for all.
Beneficiaries shared stories of transformation. One of them, Aisha Musa, 22, said: “I didn’t just go back to school—I found myself again.”
While the programme is concluding, community leaders and stakeholders have vowed to sustain its impact and continue promoting girl-child education in the state.
