The Senior Special Adviser on diaspora and foreign relations to the Governor of Lagos State, Mr. Jermaine Sanwo-Olu has urged teachers in the State to leverage on the abundant opportunities and power of technology to improve teaching skills.
Sanwo-Olu was speaking at a training workshop organized by the Surulere Local government of the State in collaboration with the Association of Nigerians Academics in the United Kingdom.
He maintained that the new administration in Lagos State gives priority to Education and Technology, and would continue to provide platforms for the development of the state education.
“Those in Diaspora are thinking of homes because Diaspora is the wheel of progress and a nation as a whole. And we belief that a greater Lagos is going to exist in our lifetime. And under the leadership of Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu, we are confident that he has the capacity, knowledge and is equipped with all it takes to bring it to manifest.
The training is part of the process to ensure that they know what to do and they are given the opportunity with the best of technology and information to teach the next generation.
“Let’s leverage on the power of technology to make your work better, more efficient and you must be IT computer savvy, by using most of the various technological devices to key into various teaching styles,” he said
Utilizing Information
The participating teachers who were selected under Nigeria Union of Teachers, NUT in Surulere area of the state were enjoined to maximize the opportunity.
“Information is power and that information is maximized when it is utilized. All the books in the library amount to nothing if no one reads them and put them into practice. So, information that will be communicated to you right here must be maximized by utilizing it. So, you cannot be analog teachers again,” Sanwo-Olu stressed.
He explained that other developed world have achieved so much by harnessing technical expertise of their people in diaspora and Lagos and Nigeria cannot be an exception.
He also pointed out that the teaching program was to ensure that teachers in Lagos receive adequate training, well motivated and are evaluated periodically.
His mandate
According to him: “As a Senior Special Assistant on Diaspora and Foreign Relations, I am passionate about bringing Diaspora from around the world to ensure that there is capacity development and also youth empowerment for our state.
We are going to have more Doctors, Nurses, and Teachers from around the world to come and create an impact here. It will be voluntary and those who want to give back to the community would also be acknowledged.
Governor Sanwo-Olu administration understands the power from the diaspora and will allow for more international experts. It is a season of change under this new administration and we are bringing the world to Lagos.”
UK impact
The President of the Association Nigerians Academics UK, Dr. Adedamola Aminu explained that the whole essence of the training was to partner and achieve a robust education platform for Lagos and Nigeria.
“We are here to work with other professional colleagues, synergize ideas and share information. And at the end of the day, we are able to arrive at how we do things differently to achieve the result. It is all about working in partnership and learn the good practice,” he said.
Aminu identified lack of resources and investment in Nigeria’s education, stressing that association would love to collaborate with the Nigerian government to make a difference.
The training according to him would focus on Teaching and learning, Lesson Planning, Classes on how to deal with children among others.
Omolayo.A
