Education Minister reiterates commitment to establish robust teacher professional development

•as NTI matriculates 18,367 unqualified teachers for emergency retraining

The Honourable Minister of Education, Mal. Adamu Adamu has reiterated the commitment of the Federal Ministry of Education to establish a robust teacher professional development and recruitment system and strengthen leadership capacity for education in emergency, among others. 

Mal. Adamu, who was the Special Guest of Honour , was represented by the Director Education Support Services of the Federal Ministry of Education Abuja, Dr. Lydia Ifeyinwa Giginna , made the disclosure on Saturday, January 15, at  Government House Yola, Adamawa State, venue of the matriculation ceremony of 18,367 unqualified teachers of Borno, Adamawa and Yobe states (abbreviated as BAY states) under an emergency teacher retraining programme organised by the National Teachers’ Institute(NTI), Kaduna. 

Dr. Lydia recalled that on February 2, 2021, the Hon, Minister of Education, Mal. Adamu Adamu at the launching of Global Partnership for Education (GPE) in Abuja, in his key address, promised that the Global Partnership for Education (GPE) grant accelerated funding will be used to support state-driven intervention, that will first of all address the gaps in delivering education in emergency. 

‘’ Let me reiterates once more that the GPE funds will be applied to selected interventions that will mitigate the challenges and response to urgent educational needs, 

‘’emerging from the crisis in the North-East region, the Covid-19 pandemic, the gaps identified by the joint Education Needs Assessment of the Education clusters and policies as strategic priorities defined by the three states and the various education sector plans and state education sector operational plans,’’ he said. 

The matriculation ceremony, which was organised by NTI in collaboration with Global Partnership for Education (GPE) , United Nations Children Funds(UNICEF) and the Federal Ministry of Education, Abuja, was held in the three affected states. 

Speaking, while declaring the maiden edition of the matriculation open at the Banquet Hall, Government House, Yola, Prof. Musa Garba Maitafsir, Director and Chief Executive of NTI Kaduna, said the academic programme for BAY states, which was rolled out in August, 2021 had outlined its activities, executed and monitored them successfully. 

Prof. Maitafsir craved the indulgence of all major stakeholders to continue to extend their hands of co-operation and support throughout the duration of the programmes. 

He said that NTI has a track record of successful implementation of all its mandates of training and retraining of teachers at all levels as enshrined in its enabling law, establishing the Institute. 

‘’ The Institute has been saddled with numerous retraining programmes ranging from Federal Government’s intervention programmes of Pivotal Teacher Training Programme, Special Teacher Upgrading Programme, annual Capacity Building Programme for teachers under the aegis of Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) project,

‘’ through to non-demand training programmes for states and public-spirited individuals that sponsor them to develop the capacity of teachers nationwide, ‘’ he said. 

Prof. Maitafsir disclosed further that NTI partners with local and international agencies and development partners to promote teacher education and professional development in different locations in Nigeria. 

He therefore, appealed to the Honourable Minister of Education, to regulate all kinds of consultancy outfits that scramble for contracts to train and retrain teachers in Nigeria. 

He appreciated the Global Partnership for Education (GPE) for sponsoring these programmes in partnership with the Federal Ministry of Education and UNICEF. 

Prof. Maitafsir enjoined all categories of learners under the BAY programmes to do the needful, to be able to achieve the desired objectives, considering the investment in the programmes. 

In his goodwill message, the representative of the Registrar and Chief Executive, Teachers Registration Council of Nigeria (TRCN), Mr. Ugo Ali Lawrence, who is the Director Planning TRCN, said the braveness of the students to have accepted their status as unqualified and presented themselves for retraining need to be commended. 

‘’ You may not immediately recognise this significant step you have taken today for joining the programme, but at the end of your graduation and induction into the teaching profession by TRCN, you will come to realise that this decision you made was one of the best things that has happen to your career,’’ he added. 

Also, in her goodwill message, the Honourable Commissioner of Education, Adamawa State, Hon. Wilbinna Jackson said NTI collaborative synergy of ‘’ leave no one behind’’ has nationally changed the concept of the teaching profession positively. 

The matriculation ceremony, which was attended by various stakeholders in the sector , was held in Borno, Adamawa and Yobe states  and matriculated 18,367 students for NCE and Post-Graduate Diploma in Education.