The federal government, in partnership with UNESCO, the government of Japan, and the Pan African University (PAU), has inaugurated a master training workshop in Abuja to strengthen teachers’ professional development through mobile-based learning platforms.
The three-day programme, themed “Empowering Female Teachers and School Leaders through Integrating Mobile-based Learning in the Pan African Virtual and Electronic University (PAVEU) Initiative”, aims to enhance digital literacy and leadership capacity among educators, with a particular focus on women.
Minister Hails Tech-Driven Teacher Renewal
Speaking at the opening ceremony, Minister of State for Education, Suwaiba Ahmad, represented by Director of Colleges of Education Uche Uba, said the workshop aligns with the federal government’s commitment to technology-driven teacher training under the Nigeria Education Sector Renewal Initiative (NESRI).
“Continuous professional development is key to improving education quality and helping teachers keep up with emerging technologies and changing learning needs,” she stated.
She noted that mobile platforms would offer flexible, accessible learning opportunities, particularly benefiting educators in rural and underserved communities. The project places special emphasis on empowering female teachers and school leaders through enhanced digital skills and leadership development, urging participants to cascade the acquired knowledge to their colleagues.
Japan Commits $1 Million to Initiative
Akiko Miyazawa, Attaché for Development Cooperation at the Embassy of Japan in Nigeria, reaffirmed Japan’s commitment to human capital development across Africa. She disclosed that Japan contributed approximately $1 million to the project, reflecting pledges made at the Ninth Tokyo International Conference on African Development (TICAD 9) in 2025.
“As master trainers, you are the catalysts of this transformation. The knowledge and skills you acquire will spread across target institutions in Nigeria, empowering countless teachers and ultimately generations of Nigerian learners,” she told participants.
UNESCO Stresses Teachers as Key to Quality Education
The acting Officer-in-Charge of UNESCO Abuja, Adeyemi Oladeji, described teachers as the most critical school-based factor in improving learning outcomes. He said the initiative targets educators in hard-to-reach communities by providing flexible, inclusive, and technology-driven learning opportunities, urging participants to become champions of continuous professional development.
To support implementation, organisers distributed 40 tablets and two sets of edge-computing devices to selected teachers and school leaders from all six geopolitical zones.
The workshop, implemented by UNESCO’s International Institute for Capacity Building in Africa (UNESCO-IICBA), will run for three days in the nation’s capital.
