Adamawa Teachers Hail Plan International Training Pilot

Education stakeholders in Adamawa have praised Plan International and its partners for a pilot programme that supported the professional development and wellbeing of teachers in the state.

 

Mr Faisal Mohammed, Chairman of the Nigeria Union of Teachers (NUT), Adamawa Council, said the initiative was carried out under the Building Resilient Education Systems Project, which is funded by Expertise France.

 

He said Plan International implemented the pilot in partnership with the Forum for African Women Educationalists (FAWE).

 

According to Mohammed, the training covered teacher wellbeing, remuneration, professional growth and gender-responsive teaching. It also dealt with classroom management, communication skills and inclusive approaches for learners with diverse needs.

 

He thanked the organisations for the support, saying the training had helped teachers work more effectively in the digital era.

 

"The training boosted teachers' morale and equipped them with contemporary skills and knowledge to improve teaching and learning outcomes.

 

"Our teachers are becoming mentally sound and getting familiar with modern technologies, including smart boards, tablets and other digital learning tools," he said.

 

Mohammed said the intervention had made a positive difference for teachers and learners in Numan, Fufore and Michika Local Government Areas, where the programme ran.

 

"Noticeable changes have been recorded in classroom activities among teachers and learners especially those in conflict-affected areas," he said.

 

He called on stakeholders to extend the programme to other parts of Adamawa, adding that training master trainers would help spread the knowledge.

 

Mrs Helen Bekodi, State Coordinator of the NUT Women Wing, described the training as a success, saying it had improved teachers' professional development and wellbeing tremendously.

 

Bekodi said participants had given positive feedback and shared testimonies about the knowledge and skills they gained.

 

Mr Tanimu Zakari, who represented Plan International, said the two-year pilot was designed to strengthen teachers' professional development and wellbeing in crisis-affected states, particularly Adamawa and Sokoto.

 

He said many newly recruited teachers lacked the skills and orientation needed to carry out their duties effectively.

 

To address this, he said, teachers and master trainers from the State Universal Basic Education Board (SUBEB) were trained to support the continuous onboarding of new recruits.

 

Zakari said the NUT served as a third-party monitor throughout implementation, and that trained teachers would receive certificates in recognition of their participation.

 

He added that although the project was winding down, stakeholders would meet to share lessons learned and agree on ways to sustain the intervention.