Oyo State Governor, Engr Seyi Makinde has inaugurated a 12—man steering committee for the second phase of the European Union funded Education and Youth Empowerment Project in Nigeria.
The committee inaugurated on Tuesday at a two – day State Launch and Inception Meeting of the EU — UNESCO Project : Education and Youth Empowerment in Nigeria: Expand, Integrate and Strengthen Systems (EISS) to build Teachers’ Capacity and Resilience from 2024 to 2028 at Kankanfo Inn, Ibadan is expected to provide overall guidance for project implementation in Oyo state.
Speaking shortly after the inauguration, Governor Makinde harped on the need to revamp the educational system in Nigeria to meet the global practices .
Represented at the event by the Deputy Governor, Barrister Bayo Lawal, the governor identified the EU – UNESCO Education project as one of the key interventions and collaborations required to change the narrative in the education sector of the country.
He called for concerted efforts from relevant stakeholders in ensuring that the pupils get the right knowledge from the appropriate quarters.
He charged the committee members to design a clear road map for the project and make attainment of conducive learning environments in schools part of their priorities.
He explained that Governor ‘Seyi Makinde led administration put Education on the front burner, which he said responsible for the 21.44 percent allotted to education in the current budget of the state.
The governor appreciated EU-UNESCO for assisting the state in raising the bar of education at the basic level.
In his remarks, the Head of UNESCO,Abuja Office, Mr.Albert Mendy, explained that the overall objective of the project is to contribute to improved student attainment and Nigeria’s human development by Innovatively increasing the number of qualified and resilient teachers through relevant teacher education policies and programmes in line with Agenda 2063 (Goals 1 and 2) and Agenda 2038 SDG 4, 4.5 and 4.7).
According to him , through the 48-month project, individual teacher capacities will be built by developing an expanded teacher education programme focused on strengthening teacher resilience for challenging job demands in fragile contexts as well as support the development and implementation of teacher policies for improved teacher preparation, recruitment, and management.
“The project will support improved quality of teaching and learning for all, especially at the basic school level through capacity development of teachers (in-service and pre-service), professional development opportunities, learner-centered participatory and inclusive instruction, the provision of adequate teaching and learning materials and the use of digital media and education-technology (EdTech) approaches inside classrooms for an inclusive, safe and resilient environment to deliver sustainable education services for the improvement of quality learning.
Also speaking, Magdalene Anene- Maidah , UNESCO, Abuja Office, revealed that the project is funded by the European Union, while technical support were provided by UNESCO.
She submitted that building a cluster of teachers at community level is crucial in promoting teachers — students based teaching and learning in various communities.
She also emphasized the need for teachers to be familiar with the elements in the new reversed curriculum and versatile with the use of Information Communication Technology for effective teaching and learning.
Earlier ,in his welcome address, the Commissioner for Education, Science and Technology, Oyo State, Professor Salihu Adelabu, said the EU- UNESCO project align with the education agenda of the present administration in the state .
Prof. Adelabu expressed gratitude to the European Union for selecting Oyo State as a key partner in the educational development project of such magnitude.