The newly established Teachers Continuous Training Institute (TCTI), in Biase, Cross River State, which kicked off last year is set to be a leading teacher educational institution in Nigeria with capacity to retrain 500,000 Primary and Secondary School teachers in Nigeria.
As part of efforts to boost teacher education and improve the quality of teachers in the country, TCTI was established by the Cross River State Government heralding Governor Ben Ayade in year 2020.
Pioneer Director-General of the Institute, Professor Taoheed Adedoja, gave the indication and at the opening ceremony of a 3-day workshop organized by the Institute for 1400 principals of both public and private secondary Schools in Cross River State.
Deputy Governor of the State, Prof Ivara Ejemot Esu who declared the workshop open in Biase, expressed great satisfaction with the quality of teacher development efforts of the institute .
”The siting of the institute in Biase local government has also changed the socio-economic narratives of the local community,” he said.
The Deputy Governor, a former minister and former Vice Chancellor of the University of Calabar further charged the principals as the custodians of the teaching workforce to encourage all teachers in the state to fully participate in the various retraining programmes of the World acclaimed Institute.
In an interview with reporters after the opening ceremony, Prof Adedoja, an internationally renowned educationist and a former Minister for Sports and Special Duties further disclosed that TCTI Biase has also established a mobile workshop and training unit that is fully equipped for retraining programmes in any urban or rural centers in the country.
“Scores of visitors and international organizations come to TCTI Biase frequently to appraise our facilities with the state-of-the-art Digital learning environment required for the 21st century teacher reskilling initiatives”.
The State Commissioner for Quality Education, Dr Godwin Amank charged teachers in the state to avail themselves of the opportunities for retraining readily available in TCTI Biase, while the Head of Service , Mr Timothy Abang Akwaji announced that henceforth evidence of attendance of retraining in Biase will be counted in career progression for Principals and Teachers in the State.
The Executive Chairman of the State Universal Basic Education Board (SUBEB), Chief Offu Aya, in his remarks said that SUBEB and TCTI were natural partners in teacher retraining programmes and that SUBEB training programme for teachers would be domiciled in TCTI Biase.
Key stakeholders that presented goodwill messages at the opening ceremony of the workshop organized in collaboration with the Ministry of Quality Education were; Hon Mrs Ada Charles Egwu Biase Local Government council chairperson , Comrade Gregory OLayi, Chairman, Nigerian Union of Teachers Cross River State, and Dr Noah Ashibi of Teachers Registration Council of Nigeria.
His HRM. Onun Apostle Nicolas Odum, the Paramont ruler of Biase Local Government council thanked the Executive Governor of the State, Prof Ben Ayade for making the Biase local government community a beneficiary of the laudable socio economic programme of the state.
Two other phases of the workshops for Principals will be held in Ikom, for the Central and at Ogoja for the Northern District respectfully .