From Juliana Taiwo-Obalonye, Abuja
The Federal Government affirmed its unwavering commitment to executing the Human Resource Strategy for Skills Development (HRSSD) programme, which is generously supported by the World Bank.
The HRSSD is a programme targeting the improvement of the skills of Technical Teachers and Instructors (TTI), under the Innovation Development and Effectiveness in the Acquisition of Skills (IDEAS) Project.
Speaking to journalists in Abuja over the weekend, during the Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) Stakeholders Workshop to validate and adopt the HRSSD Document, the Acting National Project Coordinator of the programme, Simon Ogwu, said the federal government will see to adequate teachers’ training.
During a recent Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) Stakeholders Workshop in Abuja, the Acting National Project Coordinator of the HRSSD programme, Simon Ogwu, addressed journalists and expressed the Federal Government’s firm dedication to ensuring teachers receive extensive and well-rounded training.
He highlighted the collaboration between the Federal Government and the World Bank in providing funding through the NPCU (National Project Coordinating Unit) to oversee the implementation of Component Three.
Ogwu emphasised the NPCU’s determination to ensure that teachers are well-equipped to provide excellent care and education to students in Technical Colleges. Through comprehensive training, teachers will be able to effectively pass on their knowledge to their students, ultimately benefiting the educational system as a whole.
“The Federal Government of Nigeria in partnership with the World Bank have graciously made this fund available for NPCU – which is the National Project Coordinating Unit to coordinate these activities, seeing that Component Three is implemented to the fullest and we are committed to implementing this component three.
“The NPCU is committed to implementing and to see that we bring our teachers’ training to the fullest. The teachers are taking care of so that the students can equally be taken care of in our Technical Colleges. Once the teachers are trained, they can impact that knowledge on the students. This is the basis and we are committed to it,” Ogwu said.
On his part, the National TVET Consultant, Simon Yallams, said “So finally, the document has been drafted and this particular workshop is to now validate the draft and flag it.
“Once it’s signed off, implementation takes place immediately. As we are talking now, measures have been put on the ground, technical teachers have been mobilised, ready for training and retraining.
“And the training is starting with digital skills, pedagogy skills and soft skills. That is part of the strategy. As soon as the sign-off is done, training begins in this long vacation for technical teachers and trainers,” he said.
Representative of the World Bank at the event, Dr Mistura Rufai, said TVETs in Nigeria are showing the problem in their sector, which is why they are neglected and have little or no intervention.
During the event, the Communications Consultant to the IDEAS Project, Dorcas Bello, provided insights into the HRSSD programme.
She indicated that the HRSSD programme is the third phase of a project aimed at revitalising and enhancing technical education in Nigeria, encompassing both the formal and informal sectors.
She explained that the project is divided into four components. The first component focuses on incentivising partnerships by providing grant funding for the rehabilitation and upgrading of selected Federal and State Technical Colleges. The second component is dedicated to the informal sector and falls under the purview of NBTE (National Board for Technical Education).
Bello clarified that the focus of the event was on Component Three, which aims to enhance competency by improving the availability of skilled and competent Technical Teachers and Instructors (TTI).
To accomplish this, Bello stressed the importance of assessing gaps in the system and devising strategies to address those gaps. Over the past six to eight months, extensive meetings, consultations, and workshops have been conducted across different geopolitical zones, with input sought from stakeholders in both the formal and informal sectors.
She emphasised that the HRSSD document aims to cater to the needs of all types of teaching environments, including both formal and informal settings.
“The Federal Ministry of Education took a loan from the World Bank and the loan is targeted at revitalisation and revamping technical education in Nigeria, for both formal and informal sector.
“So the project is divided into four. Component one is incentivising Partnerships
This aims at providing grant funding for the rehabilitation and upgrading of selected Federal and State Technical Colleges (TCs)
“Component Two of the Project focuses on the informal sector which is handled by NBTE. But what is happening here is Component Three, which is Improving Competency. This aims at improving the availability of appropriately skilled and competent Technical Teachers and Instructors (TTI).
“But for that to happen, a certainty has to be put in place, find out the gaps and build a strategy to address those gaps.
“For the past six to eight months, meetings have held, consultations have held from each geopolitical zone and workshops to get inputs of stakeholders both formal and informal because the document seeks to address teaching both formal and informal,” she said.