Nashmir College Urges Compulsory Entrepreneurship Education to Curb Youth Unemployment in Nigeria

By Abdullahi Alhassan, Kaduna

Nashmir College, Kaduna, has appealed to the federal and state governments to make entrepreneurship education mandatory in all Nigerian schools from primary to tertiary level, saying it offers the most practical solution to the nation’s growing youth unemployment crisis.

The appeal was made during the institution’s 2026 Student Entrepreneur Week, a six-year programme aimed at teaching students how to identify problems, develop solutions, and convert those solutions into viable businesses.

The Principal of the college, Dr. Dina A lsa, said the country can no longer continue to produce graduates who depend solely on government jobs that are not available.

“Today is our student entrepreneur week for 2026. We are very proud to say that a lot of our students are being taught not only academics and character, but also that there is life outside school,” she told parents and guests at the event.

Dr. Isa pointed to China as a clear example of entrepreneurial thinking in action. “They come here, see ‘Nigeria no light,’ and bring generators. When they see generators are not good, they bring inverters. That is entrepreneur thinking. Think of a problem, bring a solution, and turn it into a business, business into wealth.”

The week-long activities ended with _MTN Fiesta 1.0_, where students working in groups pooled little capital to produce and sell items such as lip gloss, drinks, food, and other creative products.

According to the principal, the school has been running the entrepreneurship curriculum for six years and has produced more than 10 young entrepreneurs currently running businesses in sewing, baking, catering, fashion design, fish farming, and poultry.

She said the impact of the programme is already being felt among old students. “I have students in the university that have called me, their parents don’t give them allowance. They go for these shows in Abuja, get a stall, and after they stall they make money,” Dr. Aissa disclosed.

“Even my own daughter, they’ve learned so much that they’re on their own. They have their own money. So even without a job, I can guarantee many of my children are standing on their own today,” she added.

Teachers in the school said the objective is to instill financial independence in students early. Mrs. Blessing Bright, a teacher, explained that the fiesta was organized to introduce students to arts, crafts, and other practical skills that can sustain them after school.

“We teach them how to be self-independent. We all know that Nigeria has the prevailing issue of unemployment right now. So we teach our students to go into arts and craft, skills acquisition, so that they can become better in the future,” she said.

Mrs. Bright added that students who go on to university will also benefit. “Financially, they’ll become stable in life. When they enter the labour market, they can easily diversify and become self-independent on their own,” she stated.

Student leaders also backed the initiative. The Head Boy of the college, Haruna Gambo, urged his colleagues to view skills acquisition as a support system, not a substitute for academics.

“It doesn’t just have to be office work. You can develop a skill and help yourself in the future even without any office,” Gambo said.

He explained the difference between an entrepreneur and a trader. “An entrepreneur finds a problem, finds a solution to that problem, and then turns that solution into business, and that business into money. A businessman will just buy things and sell and that’s it.”

Using barbing as an example, Gambo said simple skills can grow into big ventures with commitment. “If you learn the skill, with capital you can build your own place. It doesn’t have to be fancy. Just find something that can help you, and you’ll get by in life.”

However, he warned students not to abandon their studies for business. “Your grades, you should also watch your grades. Studies are the foundation. Without education, the skill you are learning will not be of much use. Let it be your side hustle and it can help you get by,” he advised.

SS2 student Oluwapelumi Grace Omisakin, who spoke at the grand finale, said entrepreneurship gives young people confidence in an economy where “office jobs are not assured.”

“As much as you want to succeed in life, in school they teach you biology, mathematics, but they do not teach you how to succeed in life. You build a path for yourself,” Omishakin said.

Dr. Isa ended with a call on government to test the model in public schools. She said with proper training, a student can grow ₦50,000 to ₦500,000, citing examples of students who turned ₦3,500 used to buy lollipops into ₦30,000 to ₦40,000 in one term.

“If everybody changes the mindset of ‘I must look for a job’ and instead learns to turn ₦50,000 to ₦1 million, we’ll have more rich people, fewer beggars on the street. There is nothing like skills, handwork, innovative thinking as a way out for Nigeria,” she concluded.