NERDC, Junior Achievement Nigeria move to integrate entrepreneurship into national curriculum

By Uzair Adam

The push to equip Nigerian students with practical skills for a rapidly evolving global economy received a boost on Wednesday as the Junior Achievement Nigeria paid a courtesy visit to the headquarters of the Nigerian Educational Research and Development Council (NERDC) to deepen collaboration on entrepreneurship and experiential learning.

The Daily Reality reports that the delegation, led by the Chief Executive Officer of Junior Achievement Nigeria, Olaolu Akogun, met with the Executive Secretary of NERDC, Prof. Salisu Shehu, at the council’s headquarters on Monday.

The visit underscored a shared commitment to embedding enterprise education and innovation-driven learning within Nigeria’s national curriculum framework.

Mr. Akogun was accompanied by the organisation’s Programme Specialist, Ndepawe Jonah Kwghe, and other officials.

They were received by Prof. Shehu alongside the Head of Policy and Programmes Unit, Dr. Famade Oladiran; the Special Assistant (Technical) to the Executive Secretary, Dr. Garba Gandu; and the Head of Curriculum Development Centre (CDC), Dr. Chima Egbujuo.

Discussions centred on forging a strategic partnership to advance entrepreneurship education, financial literacy, work readiness and innovation-focused learning for students across the country.

Both institutions stressed the importance of aligning educational content with global best practices while remaining responsive to Nigeria’s socio-economic realities.

In his remarks, Prof. Shehu reaffirmed NERDC’s resolve to enrich the national curriculum with practical and future-oriented competencies that would empower learners to become self-reliant and productive citizens.

He commended Junior Achievement Nigeria for what he described as its impactful programmes designed to equip young people with entrepreneurial and leadership skills.

Mr. Akogun, in his response, expressed appreciation for the warm reception and reiterated his organisation’s readiness to collaborate with NERDC in integrating structured entrepreneurship and enterprise education modules into the national curriculum.

The meeting concluded with both parties pledging closer cooperation in driving innovative educational reforms aimed at preparing Nigerian students to thrive in a dynamic and competitive global economy.