Minister lauds NTI for Teacher’s training

By Maryam Abeeb

Minister of State for Education, Rt, Hon. Goodluck Nanah Opiah has commended the National Teachers’ Institute, Kaduna for organising the nationwide capacity building teacher training programmes for Nigerian teachers.

Rt Hon. Opiah  disclosed this at the flag-off ceremony of the 2022 nationwide capacity building for teachers in collaboration with Sustainable Development Goals(SDGs) Universal Basic Education Commission(UBEC), Nigerian Communication Commission (NCC) and development partners, which took place at Rockview Hotel Royale, Wuse Abuja. 

He said teacher professional and innovative teaching methodologies make a good and competent teacher and having a competent teacher is a good thing to any school system. 

“I want to use this opportunity to commend the Director and Chief Executive, Prof. Musa Garba Maitafsir for his effort to organise this training. 

“We shall continue to give support to NTI to enable it function optimistically,” he said.

While declaring the training opened, Hon Opiah urged the participants to demonstrate high level of participation, so as to justify their selection for the training.

Earlier in his welcome address, the Director and Chief Executive of the National Teachers’ Institute (NTI), Kaduna. Prof. Musa Garba Maitafsir, said that the advent of Covid-19 Pandemic and banditry, as well as agitations and industrial disputes in the Country forced schools to close, leading to leaning loss in schools and created gaps in students learning achievements.

According to the Director and Chief Executive, the situation which is coupled with availability and access to technological gadgets by pupils, that changed the art of teaching and learning to become blended in nature “where remote online and distance learning have become a new normal and unavoidable in most schools and colleges,” he said. 

‘’Consequently, the need for Nigerian teachers to be equipped with the techniques and strategies of handling the art of teaching and learning in the new normal situation becomes imperative and compulsory for the institutions saddled with the responsibilities of training and re-training of teachers in Nigeria like the Institute,” he added.

Prof. Maitafsir said NTI has been very active in carrying out its mandate as mentioned in the Act establishing the Institute, which mandates the Institute to train and re-train Nigerian teachers, using distance learning techniques.

He said the Hon. Minister approved over 5,000 teachers to be trained, which was flagged-off, as part of the 2022 appropriated funds released to the Institute under the SDGs.

“We are flagging-off the 2022 Nigerian Communication Commission (NCC), Education Support Fund for Digital Literacy training of Nigerian Teachers, 2021 UBEC Basic Education Support Funds, Digital Literacy Programme of Adolescent Girl Initiative for Learning Empowerment (AGILE) projects in Kebbi and Katsina states, 

“As well as various Capital/Constituency training workshops across some National Assembly Constituencies in the Country,” he stated,” he said.

He reiterated the Institute’s commitment to continue to partner with the entire relevant stakeholders to provide Nigerian teachers with necessary skills needed to improve their job and profession.

Prof. Maitafsir said that this year alone, the Institute through constituency projects, will train a total of 4,300 teachers.  

The ceremony, which was attended by not fewer than 22 State Commissioners of Education and 25 SUBEB Executive Chairmen across the country, was also attended by the Executive Secretary National Commission for Colleges of Education(NCCE), Prof. Paulinus Chijioke Okwelle and representative of the  Registrar and Chief Executive of Teachers’ Registration Council of Nigeria(TRCN), Dr. Stella Maria.

Others are  representative of the Chairman, Senate Committee on SDGs, Mr. Dresman Preye and representative of the Chairman, House Committee on Basic Education and Services, Hon. Benjamin Mzondu Bern , among other important dignitaries.