First Lady Flags Off Initiative, Targets Student Empowerment
Katsina Times: Dutsi LGA, Katsina State | April 22, 2025
The Katsina State Government, in collaboration with the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and the Renewed Hope Initiative of the First Lady of Nigeria, Senator Oluremi Tinubu, CON, today launched the Young Farmers Club at Government Girls Secondary School, Shargalle, Dutsi Local Government Area.
The initiative, flagged off by the Katsina First Lady and State Coordinator of the Renewed Hope Initiative, Hajiya Zulaihat Dikko Umaru Radda, aims to equip secondary school students with practical farming skills to enhance food security, nutrition, and self-reliance.
In her keynote address, the Honourable Commissioner of the Ministry of Basic and Secondary Education, Hajiya Zainab Musa Musawa, described the program as a revival of Katsina’s agrarian legacy. "We are transforming agriculture from a subject into a way of life," she declared. "This club will empower our youth to grow maize, beans, vegetables, and livestock—ensuring they feed themselves, their schools, and their communities."
The pilot phase will cover six schools—two from each senatorial zone—with starter kits, including seeds, tools, and training manuals. Teachers will receive mentorship from the Office of the First Lady, the Federal Ministry of Agriculture, and the Katsina State Ministry of Agriculture. Competitions will reward the best-performing school farms to encourage excellence.
The Commissioner highlighted the program’s alignment with Governor Dikko Umaru Radda’s educational reforms and its potential to reduce the state’s expenditure on school feeding. "Instead of spending millions on feeding boarding schools, we are teaching students to grow their own food," she explained.
The First Lady, Hajiya Zulaihat Radda, praised the initiative as a critical step toward youth empowerment and food sustainability. "This is not just about farming; it’s about building a generation of skilled, self-sufficient Nigerians," she said.
Dignitaries at the event included the *Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Agriculture, Hajiya Ummulkhairi Ahmed Bawa, Dutsi Local Government Chairman Alh. Abdulrazak Adamu*, lawmakers, education officials, and traditional leaders.
The program underscores the state’s commitment to the Renewed Hope Agenda, combining education with practical skills to tackle unemployment and food insecurity.
