Razaq Bamidele
The Cross River Community has described the establishment of the Teachers Continuous Training Institute (TCTI), in Biase, by the Governor Ben Ayade of Cross River State, as a praise-worthy venture.
The commendation came as the Institute is set for retraining of 500,000 teachers, the project the Community viewed as a venture capable of changing the socio-economic narratives of the local community.
It is on record that the newly-established Institute which kicked off last year is aimed to be a leading teacher educational institution in Nigeria with capacity to retrain 500,000 Primary and Secondary School teachers in Nigeria.
READ ALSO: http://2023: Lagos Igbo endorse Tinubu, back Sanwo-Olu’s re-election bid
The Institute was established by the Cross River State Government in 2020 to herald Governor Ben Ayade as part of efforts at boosting teacher education and improving the quality of teachers in the country.
The disclosure above was from the Pioneer Director-General (DG) of the Institute, Prof. Taoheed Adedoja, during the opening ceremony of a 3-day workshop organized by the Institute for 1400 principals of both public and private secondary schools in Cross River State.
Deputy governor, Prof. Ivara Ejemot Esu, who declared the workshop open expressed great satisfaction with the quality of teacher development efforts of the institute adding, “The citing of the institute in Biase local government has also changed the socio-economic narratives of the local community positively.”
READ ALSO: http://Attack on APC chieftain’s residence condemnable – Abba Moro
The deputy governor, who was once a former minister and one time Vice Chancellor of the University of Calabar therefore charged the principals as the custodians of the teaching workforce to encourage all teachers in the state to fully participate in the various retraining programmes of the World acclaimed Institute because of the benefits therein.
Granting interview with newsmen after the opening ceremony, Prof. Taoheed Adedoja, an internationally-renowned educationist and a former Minister for Sports and Special Duties disclosed further that TCTI Biase has also established a mobile workshop and training unit that is fully equipped for retraining programmes in any urban or rural centres across the country.
“Scores of visitors and international organizations come to TCTI Biase frequently to appraise our facilities with the state-of-the-art Digital learning environment required for the 21st century teacher reskilling initiatives,” Adedoja informed.
The State Commissioner for Quality Education, Dr Godwin Amanke, in his own remarks at the event also charged teachers in the state to avail themselves of the opportunities for retraining readily available in TCTI Biase, while the Head of Service, Mr Timothy Abang Akwaji also announced that henceforth, evidence of attendance of retraining in Biase will be counted in career progression for Principals and Teachers in the State.
The Executive Chairman of the State Universal Basic Education Board (SUBEB), Dr. Sen. Steven Odey in his remarks said that SUBEB and TCTI are natural partners in teacher retraining programmes and that SUBEB training programme for teachers would be domiciled in TCTI Biase.
Attendees and key stakeholders who presented goodwill messages on the occasion organized in collaboration with the Ministry of Quality Education were; Hon Mrs Ada Charles Egwu Biase Local Government council chairperson, Comrade Gregory OLayi, Chairman, Nigerian Union of Teachers Cross River State, and Dr Noah Ashibi of Teachers Registration Council of Nigeria.
A monarch, His Royal Majesty (HRM), ONun Apostle Nicolas Odum, the Paramont ruler of Biase Local Government council thanked the Executive Governor of the State, Prof Ben Ayade for making the Biase local government community a beneficiary of the laudable socio economic programme of the state.
Two other phases of the workshops for Principals will be held in Ikom, for the Central and at Ogoja for the Northern District, respectively.