In its bid to boost quality health education in Nigeria, the National Teachers’ Institute (NTI) has commenced the training of school teachers in the North Central Zone on Morals and HIV/AIDS awareness in line with the Sustainable Development Goals. The programme kicked off in Lokoja, the Kogi State capital.
The participants at the workshop were head teachers, health educators, guidance and counsellors, Islamic and Christian religious teachers in basic education from the six North-Central states, including the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).
Speaking during the inauguration of the training in Lokoja, the NTI Director-General, Prof. Garba Azare, said that the moral HIV/AIDS component of the SDGs workshop was equally important due to its intended benefits of ensuring good health and healthy living in schools.
“It is only healthy children and teachers that can aim to achieve the much-needed socio-economic physical and mental capabilities.
“We urge that the workshop be given its desired attention and importance in order to rally support from key education stakeholders for the programme.”
Represented by the Registrar of the Institute, Mohammed Usman, Azare assured the Federal Government of the Institute’s readiness to work closely with them to achieve the set agenda for improved quality education in the country.
Also speaking, the Chairman, NTI Governing Council, Malam Kaka Yale, said the moral component was especially relevant considering the role it could play in creating awareness of HIV/AIDS scourge and marshalling out strategies of combating its prevalence in the society.
Yale also disclosed that the target audience, which is basically teachers that are rooted in religious education and guidance and counselling, are expected to propagate the message in their respective schools.
Represented also by Jonathan Mbaaka, director, Physical Planning, Federal Ministry of Education, he charged all the participants to pay attention during the workshop that would help to make the necessary impact at basic level.
In her contribution, Rosemary Osikoya, the Kogi Commissioner for Education, Science and Technology, equally urged the participants to spread the knowledge in various states.
She also stressed that the state government had trained teachers and school managers on curriculum and quality assurance, as steps taken to restore standard and quality education in
schools across the state.
Victoria Nnakaike, Lokoja
