Adolescents must be equipped with life skills early in life to prepare them for the challenges of adulthood and help them contribute meaningfully to society, health experts and community leaders have stressed.
Speaking in Abuja on Saturday at the wind-down ceremony of the Empowering Futures Project, Dr. Amina Dorayi, Regional Portfolio Director for Pathfinder International in West and Central Africa and Country Director for Pathfinder in Nigeria, said the global reality today shows that failing to equip children with essential skills leaves them unprepared and uncompetitive in an increasingly interconnected world and leadership space.
She said that was the reason the Empowering Futures Project was initiated and designed to equip young people with essential knowledge and vocational training.
The project, supported by Organon, targeted adolescents and young people between the ages of 10 and 24 in the Gwarimpa community in Abuja, the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).
She said Pathfinder, in collaboration with the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Primary Health Care Board and other partners, developed a peer mentorship curriculum used over the past six months to facilitate education alongside skills acquisition training.
“The aim of the project is to promote and enhance the sexual and reproductive health outcomes of adolescents and young people by equipping them with the comprehensive life skills they need to thrive,” Dorayi explained.
Noting that about 45 adolescents completed the curriculum and participated in the mentorship and training sessions, she added, “With Africa’s growing youth population, empowering young people is critical. Our program provided them with sexual and reproductive health education, life skills, and vocational training.”
Dorayi emphasized that the modules covered topics such as understanding their bodies, preventing gender-based violence, and accessing health services, in addition to being trained in shoemaking, soap production, and reusable pad making, with the visible products of their work on display at the ceremony.
“This programme has shown that with the right support, young people can take charge of their health, develop valuable skills, and contribute meaningfully to society,” she said, urging parents and community leaders to continue supporting them.
Read Also: Ailing infrastructure stifles economic growth, experts warn
The representative of the Center for Communication and Social Impact (CCSI) commended Pathfinder and its partners for the initiative, noting that the crafts and products displayed by the children showed the project’s profound impact.
“It is clear they have been equipped with vital life skills and essential sexual and reproductive health knowledge. Once community leaders are fully involved, we can be confident that the impact will continue long after government or donors,” she said.
On his part, stressing the importance of combining formal education with practical skills, the District Head of Gwarimpa, Hakim Umar Bayero, said empowering adolescents early would help address not only health challenges but also wider social issues.
“By informing and equipping them early, we are not only addressing national challenges but also helping to tackle insecurity in this country.
“Theoretical education alone cannot sustain Nigeria; combining it with practical skills and crafts, as you have done here, will go a long way,” he said, calling on other organizations to replicate the initiative.
The beneficiaries of the programme spoke about the changes it brought to their lives.
Amir Ademu, an SS2 student of Government Secondary School, Gwarimpa, said the training helped him chart a clear path for his career.
“One of the topics that improved my thinking was goal setting. It has made me understand the steps I need to follow to become an architect,” he said.
He added that the programme also taught him communication, peer guidance, and positive decision-making.
Another participant, Umar Nana Aisha, a JSS3 graduate, said the training equipped her with practical vocational skills.
“I learnt shoemaking, soap production, and reusable pad making. This programme has triggered something in me about how to be on my own if things get tough.
“I’m eager to improve on these skills because I’ve seen they will help me in the future,” she said.
The ceremony, held at the Government Junior Secondary School Gwarimpa playground, drew community leaders, parents, teachers, and health workers who witnessed the adolescents’ exhibition of their handmade products.
The display, which included shoes, soap, and reusable pads, drew admiration from the gathering and symbolized the new confidence and self-reliance instilled in the participants.