Digital Shift in Classrooms: FG, NEDC Train 100 Teachers to Revive Northeast Education

Digital Shift in Classrooms: FG, NEDC Train 100 Teachers to Revive Northeast Education

In a renewed push to transform learning outcomes in Nigeria’s conflict-affected Northeast, the Office of the Vice President, in collaboration with the North-East Development Commission (NEDC), has equipped over 100 teachers with digital literacy skills to enhance classroom delivery.

The initiative was unveiled on Tuesday during an Academic Support and Skills Enhancement Programme held in Yola, where key stakeholders highlighted the urgency of modernising teaching methods in the region.

Speaking at the event, the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Regional Development Programmes, Dr Mariam Masha, said the training focused on teachers handling Science, Technology, Mathematics and Agriculture in senior secondary schools across the six Northeast states—Adamawa, Bauchi, Borno, Yobe, Gombe and Taraba.

She explained that the programme forms part of the Federal Government’s broader reform drive under President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda, aimed at closing learning gaps and preparing educators with relevant digital competencies.

According to her, the training is designed to help teachers incorporate technology into their teaching processes, making lessons more engaging and aligning education delivery with global standards.

Also speaking, the Managing Director of NEDC, Mohammed Alkali—represented by the commission’s Adamawa State Coordinator, Khalifa Lawan—said the prolonged insurgency in the region had severely disrupted the education sector, making targeted interventions inevitable.

He noted that limited access to quality education had contributed to deeper socio-economic challenges in the Northeast, stressing that rebuilding the sector was critical to long-term stability and development.

Mr Alkali revealed that the commission had already rehabilitated schools across 112 local government areas, while lamenting that more than half of the region’s teaching workforce was lost during years of conflict.

He added that ongoing efforts were focused on strengthening teacher recruitment, training and retention, especially at the foundational level, to ensure sustainable recovery of the education system.

In his remarks, Adamawa State Commissioner for Education, Dr Umar Pella, represented by Permanent Secretary Aisha Umar, praised the intervention, describing continuous teacher development as essential to improving the quality of instruction in schools.

He said enhancing teachers’ skills in key subject areas would ultimately translate into better academic performance among students across the state and the wider region.

On his part, Prof. Augustine Okoronka of Modibbo Adama University described the programme as a strategic investment in the future, noting that education remains central to national growth and development.

He encouraged participants to embrace continuous learning, adopt innovative teaching strategies and abandon outdated practices in order to remain relevant in a rapidly evolving digital world.

One of the participants, Kieran Godiya, said the training came at the right time, noting that it introduced modern tools such as artificial intelligence and inclusive teaching methods to better address the needs of learners, especially in challenging environments.

The programme is expected to strengthen education delivery across the Northeast by equipping teachers with practical skills needed to navigate today’s technology-driven classrooms.