Education
FOUR thousand teachers drawn from various parts of the country on Friday concluded a four-month training at Senator Abiru Innovation Lab (SAIL) in Ikorodu, Lagos State.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the free training programme was organised in partnership with Co Creation Hub (CcHub) and MTN foundation.
The participants were trained in different areas including tech talent, accelerator programme and Science Technology Engineering and Mathematics (STEM).
Sen. Mukhail Abiru, (Lagos-East) said at the event that the training was established to fill a gap in the nation’s learning and teaching curve.
He said it was important for Nigeria to empower its young people with technology and position them positively for the future.
Abiru urged the beneficiaries to apply the skills acquired in their teaching and build on what they had learnt.
He promised to continuously engage them and sustain the programme.
The senator commended them for their determination and resilience during the training, and becoming members of the ecosystem of SAIL.
“Together, we are not just improving education, but laying a foundation for a brighter and prosperous Nigeria.
“We missed out in the industrial revolution, so we can not afford to miss out on the digital revolution that is going on,” he said.
Earlier, Mrs Odunayo Sanya, the Executive Director of MTN Foundation, urged the graduands to impart the knowledge and experience of the programme on their various communities of learning.
She said that there would be monitoring and evaluation, promising that MTN Foundation would also be running the programme in 2025.
In her remarks, Mrs Chinyelo Akpan, coordinator at CcHuB, commended the participants and Sen. Abiru for keying in to the vision of upgrading and training of teachers, with the mindset that technology is the driver of any ecosystem.
“It is 4000 today; we are not stopping there. Stop blaming anybody, now you have been trained with best methods of technology to unlock the future in Nigeria, ” she said.
Also speaking, Mr Tolani Sule, Lagos State Commissioner for Tertiary Education, lauded Abiru for the initiative.
He said that upgrading infrastructure and quality of teachers was also an important agenda of Lagos State Government.
In his remarks, Mr Cornelius Ojelabi, Lagos State Chairman of All Progressives Congress (APC), appreciated Abiru for preparing people to become employers of labour.
“The SAIL Innovation Lab is impactful in material and human capacities, it has touched lives across Nigeria,” he said.
Also, the traditional ruler of Ikorodu Kingdom, Oba Kabiru Shotobi, urged the public to embrace such programmes.
He also appealed to the LASG to build hostels in the state tertiary institutions, to make life easier for the students.
Ms Adama Yakubu, a participant from Kaduna State, said the training was not only about imparting knowledge, but also advocating meaningful change.
Brian Anthony, another participant from Ondo State, urged beneficiaries to make good use of their new skills. (NAN)
23rd November, 2024.
C.E
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