The Anambra State Government has introduced 15 entrepreneurial subjects into the Junior Secondary School (JSS) curriculum to boost students’ practical skills and foster an entrepreneurial mindset.
According to the government, the subjects include solar installation, garment making, GSM repairs, agriculture, plumbing, digital literacy, and robotics.
This move is part of the state’s broader strategy to align education with 21st-century demands by equipping students with real-world skills that can enhance their employability and innovation capacity.
At the launch event in Awka, Chairperson of ...-Primary Schools Service Commission (PPSSC), Prof. Nkechi Ikediugwu, said the new curriculum reflects a shift towards more practical and value-driven education.
Also speaking at the event, Mr. Cyril Nwuche of Nnamdi Azikiwe University, Awka, emphasized the need for modernized education systems.
The subjects introduced include bakery, hairstyling, make-up, interior design, CCTV/intercom installation, and event management, among others.
Governor Charles Soludo laid the foundation for this shift in 2022 when he appointed Prof. Nkechi Ikediugwu as the Chairperson of the PPSSC. At the time, he announced plans to transform 22 secondary schools into smart schools, with more to follow, through the Anambra State Universal Basic Education Board (ASUBEB) initiative.
This latest curriculum change is part of Soludo’s broader education reform agenda aimed at making schools more relevant to students’ future needs.
The vocational subjects being introduced are often the same skills young people drop out of school to learn informally through apprenticeship or artisan work.
By including them in the curriculum, the government hopes to retain more students and provide them with structured, certified learning.
According to Governor Soludo, Anambra currently has the lowest rate of out-of-school children in Nigeria, estimated at between 0.2% and 2.9% as of late 2024 and early 2025. But earlier studies from 2021 had estimated as many as 90,000 children out of school, especially in rural areas.
Bringing these subjects into the formal school system is a direct response to the learning preferences and realities of many students.
Governor Soludo’s administration has made major investments in educational reform since assuming office.
The inclusion of entrepreneurship in junior secondary schools reflects the state’s commitment to education that prepares students for the future, not just exams.