FG Seeks Collaboration Of Teachers, Others To Deliver Quality Education

The federal government has called for the strengthening of efforts to deliver on the promises of the Education for Renewed Hope Agenda and the Education targets of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG 4).

Minister of Education, Tunji Alausa, made the appeal during this year’s World Teachers’ Day, celebrated globally on October 5.

“While commending all stakeholders in achieving positive milestones for teachers nationwide, I implore community leaders, teacher unions, parents, and development partners to strengthen their efforts so that together we can effectively deliver on the promises of the Education for Renewed Hope Agenda and the Education targets of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG 4),” the minister said.

This year’s celebration had “Recasting Teaching as a Collaborative Profession” as its theme.

He explained that the theme resonated deeply with Nigeria’s education reform agenda.

“Our experience has shown that when teachers are supported to work together through peer mentoring, joint lesson planning, co-teaching, and the use of digital platforms, learning outcomes improve, and teachers themselves experience professional growth and fulfilment,” the minister said.

The minister said that the Federal Ministry of Education has initiated policies to revitalise the teaching profession, including the National Teacher Policy, which ensures that teachers are professionally empowered and motivated.

He added, “Peer support structures are being encouraged at school and zonal levels nationwide. The sector is also leveraging ICT to connect teachers across states and provide access to global best practices.

“We have a robust continuous professional development opportunity through the Teachers Registration Council (TRCN) of Nigeria, National Teachers Institute (NTI), and Universal Basic Education Commission (UBEC). The current situation is that TRCN concentrates on licensing, monitoring compliance to standards, registration, and regulating the teaching profession, while NTI focuses on and sustains in-service teacher training and continuous professional development at the basic and post-basic levels.

“Teaching is often viewed as an individual practice, which can make some teachers resist collaboration for fear of interference or added workload. To address this, it is essential to build and sustain a culture of trust, openness, and shared responsibility.

“We must note that Teachers shape all other professionals working behind closed classroom doors with little exchange of ideas, experiences, or support. Today, as education faces increasing demands and rapid change, the role of the teacher has evolved to become collaborative. He /She shares, learns, and grows with others in pursuit of collective student success is the new vision.

“A collaborative teacher understands that education is not an individual task but a shared responsibility. Such a teacher freely shares lesson plans, resources, and teaching strategies, while remaining humble enough to learn from others. They demonstrate strong communication skills—listening actively, speaking clearly, engaging respectfully in dialogue, and offering constructive feedback—while showing a willingness to build consensus even when opinions differ.

“Above all, they are committed to lifelong professional growth, both for their personal advancement and for the enrichment of the wider teaching community.”

Minister of State for Education, Prof Suwaiba Ahmad, said the ministry was strengthening teacher collaboration through initiatives such as the National Teacher Development Policy (2022), the Digital Literacy and Skills Framework, and the promotion of Professional Learning Communities (PLCs) across schools.

According to her, these efforts are in line with the government’s commitment to raising teacher quality, professional pride, and overall learning outcomes.

She said, “Teaching is often viewed as an individual practice, which can make some teachers resist collaboration for fear of interference or added workload. To address this, it is essential to build and sustain a culture of trust, openness, and shared responsibility.