No fewer than 400 teachers of Juniors and Senior secondary schools have received intensive training on deepening a transformative initiative designed to reposition the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) education system toward producing innovative, enterprising, and self-reliant learners.
The FCT Administration explained that the training organised in partnership with international and local partners, particularly Brunel University Business School, United Kingdom for the teachers drawn both public and private schools across the six FCT Area Councils, is the 3rd in series of the initiative, envisioned to align its education system with the ever-evolving global economy, by fostering a culture of innovation and entrepreneurship right from the classroom.
It was gathered during the 2- day training flagged off Monday , the participants were drilled by experts from the academic, business, and development sectors.
In his keynote address, the FCT Secretary for Education, Dr. Danlami Hayyo, delivered by the Permanent Secretary of the Secretariat, Mrs. Joy Okeke, at the opening session of the training, held at Government Science
Secondary School, Maitama, Abuja, noted that the programme marks yet another bold step in their firm commitment to reform, renew, and reposition education in the FCT.
Hayyo, who described the training as timely and impactful, noted that the FCTA is reimagining education to produce students who can think independently, create confidently, and compete globally.
According to him, to achieve this goal, “we must start with our teachers, the bedrock of our education system.
“This training is not an isolated event but indeed part of a larger, strategic roadmap.
“It builds upon the recent capacity-building programme for Principals and Vice Principals Academics, who were equipped to lead entrepreneurship education from a policy and leadership level.
“Today’s training continues that momentum by equipping classroom teachers with the knowledge, strategies, and tools to infuse entrepreneurial thinking into everyday teaching.”
He therefore urged the teachers to approach this training with openness, curiosity, and enthusiasm, as the future of students, and indeed of the society rests in their hands.
On his part, Dr. Mohammed Sani Ladan, Director / Secretary, FCT Secondary Education Board (SEB), who gave an overview of the entrepreneurship and innovation programme in the FCT, the strategic training of teachers would strengthen the existing foundation at the classroom level, ensuring that both leadership and pedagogy are aligned toward a unified goal of cultivating entrepreneurial learners, who are equipped for a rapidly changing world.
He noted that the programme is a deliberate response to three critical needs: Equipping Teachers with 21st-Century Skills; Curriculum Integration of Innovation and Entrepreneurship; as well as Community and Industry Collaboration.
According to him, “We are tired of students graduating without a skill to make them self reliant in the society.
“Through this training, we introduce strategies for integrating entrepreneurial thinking across subjects and classes, ensuring that all students benefit regardless of their field of study.
“Education should not exist in isolation. The inclusion of artisans, entrepreneurs, and business mentors in this programme reflects our commitment to bridging the gap between the classroom and the marketplace.
“ These collaborations will provide students with hands-on learning experiences, apprenticeships, and real-world exposure.
“This training is therefore strategically aligned with earlier capacity-building programmes conducted for FCT Principals and Vice Principals Academics, who were empowered to lead entrepreneurship integration from a policy and leadership standpoint.
“ Their training focused on instructional leadership, strategic curriculum oversight, and school-level innovation management.”
He noted that the sustainability of the programme is not a problem as it is deeply rooted in the FCT inclusive school system.
One of the participants, Mrs. Ezinne Jenifer Solomon-Zhiya, who lauded the initiative as apt, said it will go a long way to fostering the entrepreneurship drive in the society
Solomon-Zhiya, who is an Educational Psychologist, pledged commitment towards encouraging and empowering students with entrepreneurial skills, by entrenching whatever they exposed to in the training.
