Empowering the future: SKY Girls captures hearts in Kaduna.

By ibrahima pima

KADUNA, North-West Nigeria – A parent of one of the beneficiaries of the SKY Girls Nigeria project, Mr. Daniel Friday, has expressed appreciation for the organization’s positive impact on his 13-year-old daughter, Dinah Friday, who is a person with a disability (PwD).

Mr. Friday shared Dinah’s story during the SKY Girls Nigeria second stakeholders’ engagement meeting held in Kaduna on Thursday.

Initially skeptical about the organization, Mr. Friday admitted he disapproved of his daughter joining the group due to limited knowledge, aside from billboards he had seen around the state. However, one day he found her reading the SKY Girls handbook and decided to read it himself. After going through the content, he realized it was safe, informative, and empowering. He then gave his full support.

Today, he proudly shared that Dinah has acquired essential life skills such as saving and financial discipline. He encouraged other parents to allow their adolescent girls to participate in the program, highlighting its positive influence.

Speaking with journalists at the event, the Deputy Director of Female Education at the Kaduna State Ministry of Education, Hajiya Aishatu Mohammed, emphasized the importance of supporting organizations like SKY Girls in addressing the needs of adolescent girls within communities.

She noted that promoting the well-being of girls today is key to raising responsible women tomorrow. “Women play vital roles both at home and in the community,” she said, “so we must equip girls early with the values and tools they need.”

Also speaking, the Executive Director of Zamani Foundation, Dr. Talatu Zamani, described the SKY Girls project as laudable and timely, with the potential to make a lasting impact on its beneficiaries.

“As a parent, I can say parenting today is very different from what it used to be,” she said. “Working with women and children, I see the extent of moral decline in society. That’s why it’s essential for parents—especially mothers—to support initiatives like this. The project covers key topics that help raise respectful, empowered girls who understand their roles in society.”

The District Head of Doka (Kaduna Central), Alhaji Bala Mohammed Tijjani, also endorsed the project, praising its goals and objectives. He noted that SKY Girls could serve as a platform to convey vital messages and education to adolescent girls.

He emphasized that adolescence is a crucial period of transition from childhood to adulthood. “At this stage, they need guidance, life skills, and survival techniques,” he said. “SKY Girls is providing exactly that, and it’s something we urgently need.”

Ms. Koni Bakka, the Project Manager of SKY Girls Nigeria, explained that the choice to target adolescents was intentional, as it is easier to instill positive values during their formative years.

“Our main focus is financial inclusion,” she said. “We teach the girls how to be ‘Money Smart’—how to spend, save, and invest wisely. If they learn these values now, they’ll make better financial decisions as adults and be motivated to earn on their own. For us, the SKY is just the beginning.”

She shared a success story of a young girl who, through the skills gained from the project, started a small business and was able to pay her school fees and junior WAEC exam fees.

SKY Girls Nigeria is a girl-focused initiative that supports adolescent girls in overcoming peer pressure, intimidation, and other challenges. Launched in Lagos in 2022, Kaduna became the first northern state to implement the project in 2023. Its key focus areas include financial literacy, puberty education, and gender empowerment, with an emphasis on skills acquisition.

Meanwhile, the Network of Peace Journalists (NPJ), who also attended the event, commended the organizers for their impactful efforts.

NPJ Team Leader, Ibrahima Yakubu, urged SKY Girls Nigeria to extend its programs to young girls in Internally Displaced Persons (IDP) camps, advocating for greater inclusivity.

He pointed out that many of these girls possess untapped talent and would benefit immensely from skills training to overcome poverty, hardship, and unemployment.

“Empowering these girls—who were displaced by banditry and kidnapping—with basic business and life skills could change their lives for the better,” Yakubu said