By Muhammad Nur Tijani
Kano State Government has reaffirmed its commitment to partner with UNESCO and the Republic of Korea on technical and vocational education under the Better Education for Africa’s Rise (BEAR III) project.
The State Commissioner for Education, Dr Ali Makoda, gave the assurance on Wednesday during a meeting with the project’s technical team at his office in Kano.
Makoda, represented by the Permanent Secretary of the ministry, Alhaji Bashir Muhammad, said the BEAR III project aligned with the present administration’s policy of empowering youths with practical and market-relevant skills that foster innovation and job creation.
The commissioner said the meeting, which focused on reports on crop value chains and institutional capacity assessment, would help position Kano State to benefit from the outcomes of the project.
He commended UNESCO and the Government of the Republic of Korea for their support in strengthening Technical and Vocational Education Training (TVET) in the state, describing it as a demonstration of their commitment to enhancing economic activities.
According to him, the project is not only about education but also about empowering young people, strengthening their livelihoods and ensuring sustainable economic growth.
“Kano State Government is therefore ready to work with UNESCO and the Republic of Korea to enhance technical and vocational training, especially among our students of technical colleges,” Makoda said.
The commissioner expressed confidence that with the expertise present at the meeting, consensus would be reached on priority crops for agro-processing and the appropriate institutions for project implementation.
Presenting the project overview, BEAR III Regional Coordinator, Manish Joshi, said the overall objective of the programme is to equip young people with technical and generic skills to access decent employment through a strengthened TVET system.
He outlined implementation updates including the completion of needs assessments of all technical colleges, a seminar on improving work-based learning and apprenticeships for agricultural produce and technology, as well as a strategic roundtable on career guidance and counselling.
In her remarks, the Director, Technology, Federal Ministry of Education, Dr Muyibat Olodo, said the meeting was aimed at aligning the efforts of the technical team towards resolutions that would strengthen skills, transform agriculture and open opportunities for young people.
Also, the Executive Secretary of the National Board for Technical Education (NBTE), Prof. Idris Bugaje, represented by Prof. Diyauddeen Hassan, said the board was committed to developing the capacity of beneficiaries through the adoption of context-specific curricula.
“We are looking more into developing curricula in areas that are much applicable to Kano, particularly those that lay emphasis on irrigation,” Bugaje said.
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