The Kano State Government has renewed its commitment to collaborate with UNESCO and South Korea to enhance technical and vocational education through the Better Education for Africa’s Rise (BEAR III) project.
State Education Commissioner Dr. Ali Makoda, represented by the permanent secretary Alhaji Bashir Baffa, made this commitment during a meeting with the project’s technical team at the secretariat of the ministry.
He noted that the BEAR III project aligns with the current administration’s focus on equipping youth with practical, market-relevant skills that promote innovation and job creation. The initiative extends beyond traditional education to encompass youth empowerment, livelihood strengthening, and sustainable economic growth.
“Kano State Government is ready to work with this project under UNESCO and Republic of Korea to enhance technical and vocational training, especially among our technical college students,” Dr. Makoda stated.
While noting that the state is in a position to maximize the benefits of the project outcomes, the commissioner expressed confidence that discussions would yield consensus on priority crops for agro-processing programmes and identify appropriate institutions for implementation.
In his presentation of the project overview, the Project Regional Coordinator Manish Joshi, said the BEAR III project aimed to equip young people with technical and generic skills to access decent employment through strengthened Technical and Vocational Education Training (TVET) systems.
He said the recent project achievements include completing needs assessments of all technical colleges, conducting seminars on work-based learning and apprenticeship for agricultural produce and technology, and organising strategic roundtables on career guidance and counseling.
In his remarks, director of Technology and Science Education at the Federal Ministry of Education, Dr. Olodo M.A., emphasised that the meeting aimed to align technical team efforts to strengthen skills, transform agriculture, and create opportunities for young people.
The National Board for Technical Education (NBTE), represented by Prof. Diyauddeen Basheer Hasan, highlighted plans to develop specialized curricula applicable to Kano State, particularly emphasising irrigation-focused programmes.
