The Universal Basic Education Commission (UBEC) revealed on Monday that the Nigerian federal government has allocated a total of N57,165,751,416.12 to states for teachers’ professional development programs over the past 13 years.
Dr. Hamid Bobboyi, the Executive Secretary of UBEC, shared this information during the National Conference on Teacher Professional Development held in Abuja.
The conference, themed “Transforming Teacher Professional Development in Nigeria for Improved Learning Outcomes in Basic Education,” highlighted the government’s commitment to enhancing knowledge within the education sector.
However, Bobboyi expressed concern over the insufficient number of teachers who have undergone training in recent years.
He urged state governments to meet expectations in terms of teachers’ capacity-building initiatives.
According to the UBEC 2022 National Personnel Audit (NPA), 67.5% of teachers in public schools and 85.3% in private schools have not participated in any in-service training in the past five years (2018-2022).
This lack of training has significant implications for the quality of education delivered.
While the federal government has contributed the aforementioned amount to support teacher professional development from 2009 to 2022, it falls short of meeting the training needs of teachers.
State governments heavily rely on federal funding for teacher professional development, making it a major challenge to ensure quality learning outcomes in basic education.
Bobboyi also expressed concern about the poor learner-to-pupil ratio in Nigerian schools, which has contributed to subpar learning outcomes.
The UBEC 2022 National Personnel Audit revealed that there are 177,027 basic education institutions with a total enrollment of 47,010,008 students, including 7,234,695 in ECCDE (Early Childhood Care and Development Education), 31,771,916 in primary schools, and 8,003,397 in junior secondary schools.
The learner-to-pupil ratio varies across states, with some as high as 1:100. Additionally, Nigeria has yet to achieve 100% qualified teachers in primary schools.
Many individuals teaching in schools possess qualifications such as the First School Leaving Certificate, Basic Education Certificate, Senior Secondary School Certificate, Associate Certificate in Education, and Diploma Certificate.
Bobboyi emphasized the importance of teacher professional development, stating that the quality of learning and its application in life depend on the teacher’s competency.
He urged conference participants and resource persons to devise new strategies to enhance learning in basic schools nationwide.
During the conference’s opening ceremony, Mr. Andrew David Adejo, the Permanent Secretary of the Federal Ministry of Education, affirmed the government’s commitment to implementing programs aimed at improving learning outcomes.
He highlighted the significance of teachers as the foundation of the education system and urged states to enhance teacher development schemes and the recruitment process.
Adejo also called on relevant authorities to incorporate entrepreneurial skills into the basic education curriculum.
The two-day conference featured various presentations, including a keynote address by Mr. Vincent Katalabo from Cambridge Education, as well as a panel discussion and a Questions and Answers session.
The event aligned with the vision of President Bola Tinubu’s administration to enhance the country’s education sector and garnered attention from the incoming Minister of Education.
