No fewer than 300 students drawn from selected public secondary schools in Kaduna State have been trained on the application of Information and Communication Technology (ICT) in agriculture, as part of efforts to address food insecurity and promote innovation among young girls.
The initiative, organised by ProjectSmile for Humanity Foundation to mark the 2026 International Girls in ICT Day, focused on equipping students with practical knowledge on how digital tools can be integrated into agriculture to improve productivity and sustainability.
One of the facilitators, Hajiya Hajara Yusuf Dantsoho advocated increased participation of women and students in home gardening to boost food security and promote healthy lifestyles.
She said that student participants are also being introduced to the medicinal benefits of plants, while encouraging them to use their mobile devices to explore information on herbs, especially as interest in natural and alternative medicine continues to grow.
Speaking in an interview during the event at Queen Amina Collage, the Director Public Schools, Ministry of Education, Kaduna State, Malam Mukhtar Maude lauded the initiative by the ProjectSmile in Kaduna State.
The Founder and Executive Director of the foundation, Comfort Ojo, said the programme was designed to expose students to modern approaches in farming and encourage them to explore opportunities in agri-tech.
Ojo explained that the training became necessary in view of the growing challenges of food insecurity and the need to empower young girls with relevant skills that can contribute to national development. She noted that agriculture remains a key sector capable of providing food and employment, stressing that early exposure to ICT-driven solutions would prepare the students for future opportunities.
The students, drawn from Government Girls Secondary Schools and Queen Amina College, Kaduna, participated in practical sessions and interactive lectures aimed at enhancing their understanding of digital agriculture. As part of the programme, seedlings were distributed to participating schools to enable students to apply the knowledge gained, with a monitoring and evaluation plan put in place to track progress.
The foundation commended the Kaduna State Ministry of Education and other partners for their support in making the programme successful. However, it identified funding and sponsorship as major challenges, calling on stakeholders to support initiatives that promote education, food security, and youth empowerment.
The organisation also disclosed plans to host a “Nutrition Flow Conference” to further deepen conversations around food systems and nutrition, while expanding its outreach to more schools and communities.