131 Volunteer Teachers Inducted, Certified As Nigeria Intensifies Efforts To Tackle Africa’s 15m Teacher Deficit
Hanny Henry
In a bid to help bridge Africa’s staggering deficit of 15 million qualified teachers, 131 volunteer educators from five Nigerian states have undergone training, induction, and formal registration with the Teachers Registration Council of Nigeria (TRCN).
The training programme was facilitated by Save the Children, in partnership with the TRCN, funded and supported by the Global Partnership for Education (GPE) and other development partners.
Speaking during the certificate presentation ceremony for 26 inductees from Adamawa and Taraba States held at the Professor Jibrin Aminu Hall, Federal College of Education (FCE) Yola, Augustina Audu, Taraba State Commissioner for Basic and Secondary Education, expressed appreciation to the partners for the initiative.
The commissioner, represented by Director in the Ministry, Hamidu Usman, said the intervention would support the recruitment and strengthening of an additional 40 volunteer teachers in the state.
Audu noted that the initiative would significantly contribute to reducing the number of out-of-school children while enhancing professionalism in the education sector.
In her remarks, the Registrar of the TRCN, Dr. Ronke Soyonbo, represented by Ugo Ali Lawrence, the Director of Human Resource Management, described the programme as a new chapter in Nigeria’s education development.
She commended the partners for their commitment to improving learning outcomes and administered the professional oath on the inductees.
Soyonbo described the new teachers as “custodians of dreams,” urging them to recognize the influence they will make in shaping the future and to contribute meaningfully to national efforts aimed at improving education standards.
Also speaking, Duncan Harvey, Country Director of Save the Children, represented by State Team Lead, Abulrasheed Mohammed, said the collaboration formed a critical component of the GPE project designed to improve access to quality education for vulnerable learners across five benefiting states.
He emphasized the need for long-term sustainability and integration of trained volunteer teachers into the formal workforce.
Representatives of the State Universal Basic Education Boards (SUBEB) in both states Ardiel Kurda of Adamawa and Adamu Suito of Taraba acknowledged the importance of the intervention in producing qualified, professional teachers. They pledged their respective governments’ continued support to the programme.
Peter Bongnyat Nkonteh, speaking on behalf of the inductees,expressed gratitude for the training and registration, noting that the participants were now better equipped to contribute to improvements in the education sector.
The highlight of the event was the presentation of certificates to beneficiaries drawn from Mubi North, Mubi South, Michika, and Madagali in Adamawa State, as well as Kurmi and Sardauna Local Government Areas of Taraba State.
