NTI commissions multiple project, want inclusion in TETFUND
NTI commissions multiple project, want inclusion in TETFUND
By Shola Ojo, Kaduna
NATIONAL Teachers Institute (NTI), on Thursday, commissioned eight projects recently embarked upon by current the management to improve learning in the institute.
The projects are fire service station, permanent convocation square, e-learning centre, integrated science laboratory and computer Laboratory.
Others are Strengthening Mathematics and Science Education (SMASE) multi-purpose hall, new institute logo and distribution of 24 unit monitoring vehicles to zonal and state offices.
Leading the invited guests to commission the projects one after the other at Institute headquarters, Director-General and Chief Executive Officer, Dr. Aminu Ladan Sharehu, said the projects were conceived and executed based on the critical need of the institute in its effort to remain best teachers trainer in Nigeria and one of the leading in Africa.
For instance, the institute according to Sharehu, experienced fire incident some four years ago but before the fire brigade could reach the place from Kaduna town, the damage was already done, hence the need to have its own fire station to serve the school and its immediate communities.
Also, there is a need for effective monitoring of school programmes including tutorials, examination, teaching practice by the institute, which ginger the management to procure the monitoring vehicles as most of vehicle used by the school ab-initio were purchased about 25 years ago now unserviceable.
Commenting on the challenges facing the institute, the DG mentioned insufficient funding as the major one. He added that all the projects so far executed by the institute are power by limited funds at its disposal.
He then called on the Executive Secretary of Tertiary Education Fund (TETFUND). Professor Suleiman Bogoro, to include NTI into its channel just as he commended TETFUND for its outstanding efforts at providing the nation’s higher institution with necessary facilities.
“We have highest number of students but we are not actually benefiting from TETFUND though it is doing well. We believe the current administration is working hard to improve education especially in terms of funding,” added the DG.
Corroborating that, Vice Chancellor, National Open University (NOUN), Professor Vincent Tenebe, urged Nigerians particularly the government, to employ best graduates into teaching profession in order to have better teachers in Nigerian schools which will in turn attract international enrollment.
According to him, “Nigerians and government in particular, should ensure the best of graduates are recruited into teaching profession. With good pay and better working condition, all of us will appreciate and know that teachers can do a good job which is the only way the sustainable development can be achieved.”
In a remark, Minister of Education, Professor Anthony Anwukah, who was represented at the event by Frank Ijeoma, said the current administration is working hard to reposition the educational sector of the economy, as evident in budget allocation for the sector in 2016 budget.
Posted from GoBroadsheet