Ladan Nasidi, Kano
The Kano State Government has reaffirmed its commitment to partnering with UNESCO and the Republic of Korea on technical and vocational education through the Better Education for Africa’s Rise (BEAR III) project.
This assurance was given by the Commissioner of Education, Ali Haruna Makoda, during a meeting with the project’s technical team in his office.
The BEAR III project aligns with the state’s policy of empowering youth with practical, market-relevant skills. It aims to equip young people with technical and generic expertise to access decent employment through a strengthened TVET system.
The project has already completed needs assessments of technical colleges, conducted seminars on work-based learning, and organised strategic roundtables on career guidance.
Makoda reiterated Kano’s readiness to fully support the initiative.
“The state government is prepared to work with the BEAR III project to enhance technical and vocational training, particularly among students of our technical colleges,” he said.
He expressed optimism about the meeting’s outcomes.
“We are confident this engagement will reach a clear consensus on priority crops for agro-processing programmes and identify suitable institutions for project implementation,” he added.
Professor Diyaudeen Basheer Hassan, who represented the Executive Secretary of the National Board for Technical Education (NBTE), Professor Idris Bugaje, said the Board was very keen on developing the capacity of the beneficiaries through the use of the right curricula that are applicable to Kano State.
Prof. Hasan also stressed the importance of tailoring curricula to Kano’s needs. “The Board is focused on developing applicable curricula for the state, especially in critical areas such as irrigation,” he noted.
The meeting underscored the collaborative efforts between the Kano State Government, UNESCO, and the Republic of Korea to advance technical and vocational education in the state and position young people for future employment opportunities.
PIAK