• Advocate “mind shift” in teaching method

By Shina Abubakar, Osogbo

In a bid to reform technical and vocational education for national development, IHS Nigeria has partnered with the Osun State Government to ensure a paradigm shift in teaching methods in technical and vocational education in the state.

Teachers and school administrators from the nine technical colleges in the state and the Technical and Vocational Education Board of the state were brought together for training in digital technology with a view to effecting innovation in classrooms.

The IHS Nigeria-sponsored initiative, implemented by Focus Teens Foundation, targets about 200 teachers across state technical colleges to be trained in batches for two days.

Speaking at the opening ceremony, which was held in Osogbo, Titilope Oguntuga, Director of Sustainability at IHS Nigeria, explained that the project was developed to prepare teachers for the opportunities and challenges of a fast-evolving world.

Her words, “Today is not just the launch of a programme — it is the beginning of a movement. This is more than training; it is a mindset shift. It is about rethinking how we prepare teachers, students, and our communities for the opportunities and challenges of a fast-evolving world.

“Education remains the strongest catalyst for national development. But we cannot achieve this without empowering the people who will empower the next generation. With this programme, teachers and beneficiaries from the nine technical colleges will begin to think more innovatively and incorporate new systems that support STEM for the advancement of our nation.”

Also, the Special Adviser to the Governor on Technical and Vocational Education, Adedapo Ademola-Adesina, noted that the State Government believes in private sector collaboration to achieve its goals for technical and vocational education, leading to the partnership with IHS Nigeria.

“We must begin by changing the mindset of our teachers. They are the ones who shape future leaders. That is why we tagged the program “Osun Teacher-Shift 2025” — shifting from the old ways to new digital teaching”, he said.

Earlier in his remark, the State’s Commissioner for Education, Sunday Eluwole, acknowledged that the training was both timely and necessary, saying; “this is the 21st century, and Nigeria cannot be left behind. Our schools, teachers, and classrooms must be digitalised. Teachers must first be trained in digital methods before they can pass the knowledge on to students.”

Eluwole added that Osun State, which has the highest number of technical colleges in the Country, is committed to making its schools models of digital and vocational learning.