Niger State Government has slated for January 2025, the commencement of the Students Entrepreneurs Activities (SEA-HUB) in all the Secondary Schools across the three Senatorial Districts of the State.
The teaching of vocational skills to the students is scheduled to take place every Fridays and particularly when the schools were in session and during the school hours across the state in all the participating schools simultaneously.
The Commissioner for Basic and Secondary Education, Dr Hadizah Asabe Mohammed, dropped the hints in her opening remarks at the Day SEA- Hub stakeholders Workshop that was held at NUT, End well Auditorium, Teachers House, Chanchaga area in Minna on Wednesday, October 6, 2024.
Speaking further, Dr. Hadizah Mohammed, at the SEA- Hub Stakeholders Workshop theme: “Sustainable, and Investment, Economic Development for Decent Empowerment in Nigeria ( SEDIN – IV) that was put together by the State Ministry of Basic and Secondary Education in collaboration with the German International Development (GIZ).
The Hon. Commissioner for Basic and Secondary Education noted that Niger State was taking the lead in Secondary Schools across the country in the introduction of Entrepreneurship training in schools, emphasizing that 15, out of the 25 Local Government Areas of the State had introduced the programme into their curriculum, assuring that all the 534 secondary schools across the three Senatorial Districts of Niger State would soon implement the programme.
According to her, ” His Excellency the Executive Governor of Niger State, Mohammed Umaru Bago, has given us at the Ministry of Basic and Secondary Education the mandate to impact vocational skills to students right from the Basic level to Secondary Schools in parts of the State.”
She, however, reiterated the commitment of the incumbent Governor Mohammed Umaru Bago – led administration in the state’s preparedness to support schools with all necessary equipment and materials needed to enhance Entrepreneurship skills across the state by the year 2025.
She, thereby, expressed appreciation to GIZ for the development of an action plan to partner with the State government to develop the program, emphasizing that the workshop would enhance the efforts to institutionalize the SEA-HUB Entrepreneurship model across the state, just as she further outlined roles, responsibilities, and timelines to support the program’s long term success.
Also in his remarks, at the occasion, the Head Component for the Entrepreneurship Eco-System, GIZ- SEDIN, Mr Babafemi Oyediran, explained that the workshop was aimed at fostering collaboration among key partners, including the State Ministry of Basic and Secondary Education, SMEDAN, and GIZ to develop a cohesive action plan for the programme’s next phase leveraging the partners, noting that the workshop would enhance efforts to institutionalized the SEA-HUB Entrepreneurship model across the state.
Mr. Oyediran, outlined roles, responsibilities, and timelines to support the programme’s long-term success, stressing that the workshop would serve as a platform for strategic dialogue amongst the key stakeholders from diverse sectors, including, educators, government agencies, technical advisors, and Community leaders to review the programmes, progress, identify gaps and design a cohesive reading for its next phase.
He also observed that in Nigeria, young people often lack access to practical Entrepreneurship education, limiting their preparedness for economic independence and meaningful employment, saying that the gap is pronounced in secondary education where students rarely engage in business fundamentals.
Oyediran further explained that the students entrepreneurship activities HUB, SEA- HUB programme were launched to bring hands-on Enterpreneuership by creating mini- business, even with minimum funding, saying, the participation of the Niger State Ministry of Basic and Secondary Education in the Stakeholders Workshop has further underscored the State government’s commitment to creating a robust structure for Enterpreneuership education that empowers youth and fosters long- term economic resilience.
Meanwhile, the participants at the One- Day stakeholders Workshop included Principals and staff advisors from current SEA- HUB schools, Representatives from Small and Medium Enterprises Development Agency of Nigeria, officials from Niger State Small and Medium Enterprises, Niger State Basic Education Board( NSUBEB) and officials from Niger State Private schools as well as SEA- HUB trainers from the State Ministry of Women Affairs and officials from the Zonal and Local Government Councils Education authorities, amongst others.
