The National Senior Secondary Education Commission (NSSEC) says it is repositioning school agriculture as a tool for skills acquisition, food security, and youth empowerment.

Iyela Ajayi, executive secretary of NSSEC, stated this on Monday in Abuja at a one-day sensitisation and strategy workshop for agricultural science officers under the “Grow What You Eat” initiative.

Mr Ajayi said the initiative was part of efforts to align senior secondary education with national priorities on functional skills, entrepreneurship, and food security.

He said the programme aimed to transform school gardens into practical learning spaces to equip students with agricultural knowledge, business skills, and environmental awareness.

“Grow What You Eat is a bold response to these national priorities. It is a strategy to transform school gardens into living classrooms, where students learn not only agriculture but also business acumen, hard work, and self-sufficiency,” he said.

Mr Ajayi said the official launch of the programme would hold on June 26 at Government Girls Secondary School, Dutse-Alhaji, Abuja.

Also speaking, Mohammed Salihu, Director of Teachers Development and International Partnership at NSSEC, said the workshop was part of efforts to translate education policy into practice.

Mr Salihu said the initiative would embed sustainability, self-reliance, and practical life skills into the senior secondary education system.

“It prepares our students not just for exams but for life, work, and financial independence,” he said.

Oscar Ikwankwan, a facilitator and lecturer at the Federal College of Education, Katsina, urged participants to adopt clear implementation strategies and standard guidelines for nationwide impact.

He said the programme targets students in SS1 to SS3, aged 15 to 18, and would also promote career interest in agriculture, entrepreneurship, and sustainable farming practices.

Participants at the workshop included agricultural science desk officers from 18 states and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).

The states are FCT, Katsina, Borno, Taraba, Abia, Imo, Anambra, Kogi, Nasarawa, Gombe, Kano, Zamfara, Ogun, Osun, Oyo, Edo, and Rivers.

The desk officers are expected to coordinate the implementation of the initiative in their respective states.

(NAN)