Nashmir College in Kaduna has called on the federal and state governments to make entrepreneurship education compulsory in all Nigerian schools, from primary to tertiary level, describing it as the most practical solution to the country’s rising youth unemployment.
The call was made during the school’s 2026 Student Entrepreneur Week, a 6-year-old programme that trains students to identify problems, create solutions and turn them into businesses.
Principal of the college, Dr. Dina A lsah ,said Nigeria can no longer afford to graduate students who only wait for government jobs that do not exist.
“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 guests and parents at the event.
Dr. Isah cited China as an example of what entrepreneurial thinking can achieve. “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 programme culminated in the MTN Fiesta 1.0, where students, working in classes, pooled small capital to produce and sell goods ranging from lip gloss and drinks to food and other innovations.
According to the principal, the college has run the entrepreneurship curriculum for six years and has produced more than 10 young business owners already operating in sewing, baking, catering, fashion design, fish farming and poultry.
She said the impact is already visible even among alumni. “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 said.
“Including 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 at the school said the goal is to build financial independence early. Mrs. Blessing Bright, a teacher, said the fiesta was meant to expose students to arts, crafts and other 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 noted that even students who proceed to university will 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 threw their weight behind the initiative. Head Boy of the college, Haruna Gambo, urged his colleagues to see skills as a backup plan, not a replacement for education.
“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 drew a distinction between entrepreneurship and trading. “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 small skills can grow big with discipline. “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.”
But he cautioned against dropping books 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. Isah concluded with an appeal to government to pilot the model in public schools. She said with proper training, a student can turn ₦50,000 into ₦500,000, citing students who turned ₦3,500 capital for 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 said.
