UNICEF and the Katsina State government have trained 50 adolescent girls across selected local government areas of the state to promote peace and resilience in the communities.

The two-day training held in Katsina on Monday aimed to promote girls’ enrolment in schools and their retention and completion of education.

The training was organised by UNICEF, in collaboration with the state’s Development Management Board, the Ministry of Basic and Secondary Education, and the Universal Basic Education Board.

Ngozi Izuora-Songu, the UNICEF adolescent development specialist, said the training aimed to promote sustainable peace through the voices of the young people, especially the girls.

“In crisis situations, women and girls are most affected; therefore, the training is to empower them with knowledge to be able to contribute their voices towards peace in their communities.

“It is also to equip them to ensure they provide peace when there is conflict, clarity in the midst of confusion, and understanding where there’s disagreement.

“Our role as women and girls is to ensure that wherever we find ourselves, we’re able to bring people together, not to disorganise them,” she said.

Earlier, the executive secretary of the state’s development management board, Mustapha Shehu, advised the participants to pay attention to the training.

He said the training would enable them to support the school enrolment, retention, and completion in their respective communities.

One of the facilitators, Halima Dimis, said the training would strengthen the leadership, advocacy, and communication skills of the adolescent girls.

She said it would also promote gender equality and raise awareness of ending gender-based violence (GBV), as well as enable the understanding of peacebuilding, conflict resolution, and social cohesion.

“At the end of this exercise, the training is expected to support adolescent-led peace action plans across the participating LGAs,” Mr Dimis said.

Earlier, Kabir Nadada, the UNICEF focal person at the Ministry of Education, called on the participants to take the training seriously, as they are expected to become peace ambassadors.

He urged them to also ensure they stepped down the training to their communities.

At the end of the training, an Adolescent Peace Ambassadors Unit is expected to be established across each of the 10 participating local government areas.

(NAN)