Education has been identified as the most potent and indispensable tool for promoting socio-economic development of the nation.
Ogun State Commissioner for Education, Science and Technology, Prof. Abayomi Arigbabu, made this known during a Distinguished Lecture Series, organised by Lagos State University of Education (LASUED), Oto/Ijanikin, Lagos, with the topic, “Teachers’ Preparation For Nigerian Schools In Contemporary World”, saying educational goals, hinges significantly on the availability of competent and qualified teachers.
Prof. Arigbabu stated that significant strides in educational development could be achieved by a radical and proactive approach in expediting the realisation of desired outcome, adding that strengthening pre-service teacher- education and preparatory programmes were paramount in taking the education sector to a higher pedestal.
The Commissioner reiterated Prince Dapo Abiodun-led administration’s commitment towards training and retraining of teachers in technological innovations and digital literacy, was aimed at fulfilling the promise of providing qualitative, affordable and accessible education to the citizenry, informing that the initiatives had been yielding desirable results.
“Let us acknowledge the unique challenges and opportunities inherent in Nigeria’s educational context. From diverse cultural backgrounds to varying resource availability, our teachers are tasked with navigating a complex terrain”, he said.
Speaking, Lagos State Commissioner for Tertiary Education, Hon. Tolani Sule, represented by Permanent Secretary in the Ministry, Mr. Waheed Adeniran, appreciated the guest speaker for the lecture, assuring that all that had been learnt would be adopted for better productivity.
Earlier, the Vice-Chancellor, Lagos State University of Education, Prof. Bidemi Lafiaji-Okuneye, said the lecture series was to tackle myriads of challenges that impede the ability of teachers to effectively carry out their roles and responsibilities.
She said inadequate basic teaching facilities, poor working conditions, among others, were critical issues that should be tackled in navigating the complexities of contemporary education landscape.