The Federal Government, the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO), the African Union (AU) and the Government of Japan have called for continuous training of teachers and educators to improve the quality and inclusiveness of education in Nigeria.
The stakeholders made the call at a Master Trainers Workshop on Safe Learning Environment, Gender Responsive Pedagogy and ICT Skills for Educators in Abuja.
They said sustained investment in teachers was essential to achieving the 2030 Sustainable Development Goals and addressing challenges confronting the education sector.
The workshop was organised as part of a capacity-building project aimed at equipping teachers to promote continuous and inclusive access to quality education, particularly for girls in West Africa.
Representatives of UNESCO, the African Union and Japan identified the rising number of out-of-school children, shortage of qualified teachers, poor learning environments, insecurity and gender inequality as major obstacles to educational development.
They also stressed the need to increase girls’ enrolment and promote gender-responsive teaching practices in schools.
The stakeholders called for stronger teacher capacity in gender-responsive pedagogy, saying educators needed regular training to respond effectively to changing demands in the classroom.
In her keynote address, the Minister of State for Education, Prof Suwaiba Ahmad, expressed appreciation to the Japanese Government for supporting selected Colleges of Education.
Ahmad described the equipment provided through the programme as an investment in the people responsible for preparing Nigeria’s future teachers.
The stakeholders, however, stressed that providing equipment without developing the people who use it would not be enough to transform the education sector.
They said safe learning environments were equally important for both teachers and pupils, particularly amid security challenges affecting schools in some parts of the country.
A representative of the Committee of Provosts of Colleges of Education also called for greater attention to equity and gender responsiveness in teacher education.
The participants said continuous capacity development should remain central to education policy, with institutions expected to strengthen teaching practices alongside infrastructure and technology.
They emphasised that teachers, institutions and classroom practices were critical to converting investments in education into better learning outcomes for Nigerian children.
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