From Fred Ezeh, Abuja
National Commission for Colleges of Education (NCCE) has made a case for improved digital literacy for lecturers in Colleges of Education (CoE) across the country, insisting that ICT has redefined education and other means of teaching and learning and that its knowledge has become compulsory for all in order to remain relevant.
This is as the commission has said it has commenced training of 600 lecturers selected from some CoEs on the new digital tools developed by NCCE for teaching and learning in CoEs.
Minister of State for Education, Goodluck Opiah, who launched the new digital platform in Abuja, commended NCCE for such innovation saying it would prepare CoE graduates to favourably compete in local and global spaces.
He made reference to 2020 when COVID-19 pandemic took the world by storm, resulting in lockdown and closure of schools and other public places, leaving only online engagements for communities, markets, schools, churches and other public places.
He urged NCCE to further extend the training to lecturers in all the CoEs in Nigeria, so they could prepare themselves and their students for any eventuality as was witnessed in 2020 when COVID-19 resulted in global lockdown.
Executive Secretary of NCCE, Prof. Chijioke Okwelle, explained that the training would be conducted in 12 Federal Colleges of Education selected from the six geo-political zones of the country.
He explained that the first phase of the capacity building was aimed at equipping 600 teacher-trainers (lecturers) from 12 Federal Colleges of Education on the role of digital technology in online/blended teaching and learning.
NCCE’s Director of ICT, Pius Ekireghwo, in his remarks, explained that the journey for the development of the digital platform began in 2019, but could not be completed for some unexplained reasons.
He appreciated the support and encouragement received from the NCCE Executive Secretary and other partners which resulted in the completion and launch of the digital tool.
Registrar, Teachers Registration Council of Nigeria (TRCN), Prof. Josiah Ajiboye, in his remarks, reminded teachers and NCE graduates that technology has greatly redefined ways things are being done, and no body without digital skills and knowledge will be relevant and effective in today’s world.