The Anambra State Government has introduced fifteen entrepreneurship-focused subjects into the junior secondary school curriculum as part of efforts to equip students with practical skills and nurture an entrepreneurial mindset from an early age.
The newly introduced subjects cover areas such as solar installation, garment making, GSM repairs, agriculture and processing, plumbing, tiling, POP installation, event management, bakery, hairstyling, make-up, interior design, CCTV and intercom installation, digital literacy, IT, and robotics.
The initiative was formally unveiled on Thursday at Igwebuike Grammar School, Awka. Speaking at the event, the Chairman of the Post Primary Schools Service Commission, Prof Nkechi Ikediugwu, said education in today’s rapidly changing world must move beyond theory and examinations. She explained that schools must intentionally equip students with practical skills, creativity, innovation, and an entrepreneurial mindset that aligns with real economic needs.
According to her, the objective of the programme is to prepare students not only to seek paid employment but to create value, generate employment, and contribute meaningfully to the economic development of Anambra State. She noted that exposing students to hands-on skills at the junior secondary level would help them discover talents early and develop confidence in productive ventures.
Delivering a lecture titled “Building Entrepreneurial Secondary Schools: Why Every School Needs an Entrepreneurship Club,” a representative of Nnamdi Azikiwe University, Awka, described the move as a strategic step towards long-term economic transformation. He said the introduction of entrepreneurship subjects signalled a shift from purely academic instruction to skills-based learning that responds to future workforce demands.
He added that traditional classroom teaching alone is no longer sufficient to prepare young people for the realities of the modern economy, stressing that schools must deliberately groom students to think creatively, solve problems and explore enterprise as a viable path.
The programme is expected to strengthen Anambra State’s human capital pipeline and, in the long term, support the growth of small businesses, skilled artisans and technology-driven enterprises across the state.
