Federal Government has handed over Information and Communication Technology (ICT) equipment and materials to 15 federal and state Colleges of Education under a Japanese government-supported education project aimed at strengthening teacher training and improving access to quality education.
The handover ceremony, held in Abuja, was conducted under “The Project for Capacity-building of Teachers to Promote Continuous and Inclusive Access to Safe and Quality Education for Girls in West Africa.”
Strengthening teacher education
Minister of State for Education, Professor Suwaiba Sa’id-Ahmed, said the initiative represents a strategic investment in Nigeria’s education sector and demonstrates a shared commitment to producing qualified teachers, promoting innovative teaching methods, and expanding inclusive learning opportunities, particularly for girls.
The Japanese Chargé d’Affaires in Nigeria said the project, funded by the Government of Japan through UNESCO-International Institute for Capacity Building in Africa (UNESCO-IICBA), was designed to address key educational challenges across West Africa.
According to the envoy, the project targets issues such as low educational attainment, high numbers of out-of-school children, learning poverty, gender inequality, and the shortage of qualified teachers.
Focus on digital learning and capacity building
Director of Colleges of Education at the Federal Ministry of Education, Dr. Uchenna Mba, said the project seeks to strengthen teacher professional development, enhance the capacity of teacher-training institutions, and deploy digital technologies to improve teaching and learning outcomes.
He noted that the initiative covers six West African countries and is designed to accelerate progress toward achieving education goals through gender-responsive and conflict-sensitive education systems.
The project’s beneficiaries include the Federal Ministry of Education, teacher-training institutions, teacher educators, school inspectors, and primary and secondary school teachers across Nigeria.
The ICT equipment distributed to the institutions includes 65 laptop computers with carrying cases, 71 tablets, four desktop computers, five interactive smart boards, 19 all-in-one desktop computers, 14 projectors, 15 printers, and 15 backup hard drives.
The beneficiary institutions are ;
Federal College of Education, Kontagora
Federal College of Education, Zaria
Federal College of Education (Technical), Gombe
Federal College of Education, Yola
Federal College of Education (Technical), Asaba
Federal College of Education (Special), Oyo
Federal College of Education (Technical), Umunze
College of Education, Zuba, FCT
Isaac Jasper Boro College of Education
Enugu State College of Education (Technical)
Sa’adatu Rimi College of Education, Kano
Adamu Augie College of Education, Argungu
Shehu Shagari College of Education, Sokoto
Adamawa State College of Education, Hong
Taraba State College of Education, Zing.
RN