The Centre for Girls’ Education in Zaria, Kaduna State, has empowered over 200,000 vulnerable girls with skills and is expanding its initiatives to include free Artificial Intelligence (AI) training. Hajiya Habiba Mohammed, the Director of CGE, revealed this development, emphasizing the positive impact on girls in various states, including Kaduna, Katsina, Sokoto, Bauchi, Gombe, Kano, Kebbi, and Borno.
Mohammed explained that the centre is planning to integrate its beneficiaries into AI, drawing from its participation in a program in Qatar. The goal is to provide advanced training to girls, and the centre is actively seeking additional support from donor agencies for this initiative.
Highlighting the success of the centre’s projects, Mohammed mentioned that over 6,000 married adolescent girls benefited from the MASS project, receiving training in life and vocational skills. The centre aims to provide scholarship opportunities to these girls, enabling them to reshape their futures even after early marriage.
The centre’s pre-school initiative has reached over 4,000 pupils aged four to six, preparing them for formal education. Under the Girls for Education and Health Project, over 2,000 female students in senior secondary schools have been trained, with a focus on addressing the shortage of human resources for health and science teachers in the country.
The director emphasized collaboration with various entities, including the Kaduna State Ministry of Business Innovation, Ahmadu Bello University in Zaria, and the Vocational Centre of Islamic Trust of Nigeria, to support girls in learning ICT and other vocations.
Looking ahead to 2024, the centre aims to work with the government to institutionalize its safe spaces into schools, ensuring that more vulnerable girls can benefit from life skills and stay focused on their educational and career goals.