Niger State Governor, Alhaji Abubakar Sani-Bello, on Thursday renewed his commitment to professionalism and prestige of teachers and teaching profession in the state.

He stated this at the maiden end of the year Academic Day Programme of the Niger State Teacher Professional Development Center, Mararaban Dandaudu in Muyan Local Government area of the state.

The governor said having identified education as the bedrock upon which any development can be built, his administration has resolved to give attention to teacher education, hence the establishment of the Teachers Development Center.

To drive home this policy, Gov. Sani-Bello said two additional centres will soon take off in Agaie and Agwara local government areas of the state.

This, he said, would help address the shortfall in qualified teachers at the basic education level, prepare highly professionally oriented teachers as well as improve their status.

He disclosed that the menace in the educational sector of the state gave birth to the establishment of the teachers institute in the state adding that prestige needs to be added to teaching as a profession even though the receive peanuts as salary.

“To allow for effective service delivery I thought selecting students for this institution from the 274 wards in the state is the best as it will be easy for them to go back to their ward to practice the profession.

“I feel we should add some prestige to teaching profession and this is why it is a special centre for people to admire and have respect for teaching profession.

“As at the last count over 60 per cent of our teachers are not qualified to teach but I do not believe sacking them is the solution but I believe with this Institute we will retrain those ones that are trainable and those that are not trainable will have to go back to school and get better training.”

The Governor emphasised that to have a qualified teacher in each ward in the state is the key to development in the educational sector of the state.

He expressed satisfaction on the level of academic activities carried out in the institution thereby advising the students to take their studies seriously.

He also called for support at the local government level to ensure that the idea of training young boys and girls to become teachers at early age is sustained.

He then commended the efforts and contributions of the implementation committee for bringing the centre to reality thereby calling for more support from the committee.

Earlier, the Chairperson, Implementation Committee, Hajiya Dije Bala, said the centre was established to correct the wrongs in the educational sector of the state, especially at the primary level.

She said that the centre which is one of the three in the state is to groom young boys and girls at early state to become teachers.

The Chairperson also disclosed that the centre is work in collaboration with the Teachers Institute of Nigeria to ensure proper training of teachers, headmaster as well as headmistresses.

Hajiya Dije then commended the effort and contributions of Governor Sani-Bello’s administration for reviving the educational sector of the state and for ensuring that younger ones are trained to become teachers at early state.

She assured the Governor of the committee’s commitment to ensuring that the students are well trained.

Similarly, Commissioner for Education, Hajiya Fatima Madugu, said the institute has added value to the educational sector of the state adding that quality education can only be guaranteed by ensuring well-trained teachers.

She also commended the efforts of the Governor for his contributions in resuscitating the educational sector of the state and has called on the management to imbibe the spirit of maintenance and they carry out their duties effectively and efficiently.

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