Niger govt commits to enhancing teaching profession with new agenda

The Niger State Government has reiterated its commitment to the sustenance of the New Niger Teachers agenda towards improving and enhancing the teaching profession in the state.

The government gave the assurance while speaking through the Director General/Executive Director of the State, Dr Ibrahim Mustapha Lemu, during the presentation and distribution of uniforms, books, and teaching aids to the new set of students of the institute’s Pre-service Centre at its temporary site in Zarumai Model School on Monday in Minna.

Dr Ibrahim Mustapha Lemu noted that the presentation of uniforms and books is part of the ‘New Niger Agenda’ of the present Governor Mohammed Umaru Bago-led administration in the State administration, adding that the Institute’s centre is established to groom and nurture young students from Senior Secondary School One (sss1) to be oriented and inducted into the teaching profession

He stated further that the students are representatives of the 274 wards in the 25 local government areas of the state.

The Director General/Executive Director further assured that the Niger State Teachers Professional Development Institute’s pre-service centre goal is aimed at giving free incentives, in terms of free uniforms, books, sportswear, cardigans, neckties, socks, shoes, and student teaching aids, to prospective students with the view of attracting and capturing the attention of Nigerlites into the teaching profession.

He emphasised that the state government will sustain its commitment to maintaining the payment of school fees, transport fares, feeding fares, and tertiary scholarships as soon as they pass the Basic Teacher Professional Certificate Exams.

Presenting the items to the DG/ED, the Director of Pre-service of the State’s Teacher Professional Development Institute, Malam Abubakar Mohammed Ndanusa, disclosed that the incentives to the students are efforts put in place by the state government, under Governor Muhammed Umaru Bago’s government, to motivate and attract students from the 274 wards in the state to serve as teachers in their respective local communities after passing the basic teacher professional certificate exams and undergoing a state government tertiary scholarship scheme in either colleges of education or universities, as part of teacher sustainability and viability.

Expressing her delight, the Principal Tutor, Aisha Aliyu (Aunty Zaria), lauded the state government for sustaining the pace of providing adequate funding for the operations and programmes of the Teacher Institute’s Pre-service Centre, saying that the initiative has boosted the entrance into the teaching profession, enhanced teaching enrollment, and improved the teaching environment in the state, and maintaining that the incentives will go a long way in making Niger State the most teachers’ advantageous state in Nigeria.

It would, however, be noted that presently the centre has 195 students from 195 wards across the state, with 106 female and 89 male students, that benefited from the presentation and free distribution of the state’s government incentives, just as about 6,000 copies of exercise books, 195 uniforms, socks, cardigans, neckties, sportswear, and other educational aid were presented to the students.

Meanwhile, among the people who were present at the occasion were the representative of the state’s commissioner of education and the director of administration of the state’s ministry of education, Hadiza Ahmed, the director of in-service, the director of quality assurance, and all of the State Teacher Professional Development Institute.

Others include the principal of Zarumai Model School, tutors, management, and personnel of the state teacher institute’s centre, Minna.

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