By Remi Johnson
Towards empowering Secondary School students with business skills and mindset, the Federal Capital Territory Administration, FCTA, has built the capacity of 187 Vice Principals Academics on how best to inculcate entrepreneurship education in the students.
The Mandate Secretary, FCT Education Secretariat, Dr. Danlami Hayyo, said the train the trainers workshop is targeted at empowering the Vice Principals with requisites skills to properly impart entrepreneurship education in the students to meet global standards.
Dr Hayyo who thanked the visionary FCT Minister, Mr Nyesom Wike, for the over 200 billion naira earnmarked to renovate and overhaul Public education sector in the territory, tasked the participants to take the training seriously, with a view to ensuring that students get the desired results.
Hayyo who described Vice Principals Academics as strategic instructional school managers, encouraged them to take entrepreneurship education beyond just a subject, and make the best out of it.
“If we succeed in making entrepreneurship education a standard practice in our schools, we will have succeeded in preparing the next generation of leaders, innovators, and nation-builders.
“This training is a call to action, and I trust that you will take the lessons learned here and translate them into impactful changes in your schools.
We must take deliberate and strategic steps to ensure that our education system aligns with this global shift.” Hayyo advised.
Giving overview of entrepreneurship strides in territory, the Director FCT Secondary Education Board ,SEB, Dr. Mohammed Sani Ladan said the FCT Education Secretariat had over the years prioritised entrepreneurial skills development to meet the evolving demands of the 21st century.
He noted that the measure had equipped some students in some FCT schools to become producers of detergent, liquid soap, vaseline, interlock manufacturing from waste, and well as gained collaboration ideas from water industry.
According to Dr Ladan, the FCTA is set to replicate this feats in all its schools. through the Vice Principals Academics training on innovation and entrepreneurship .
“Recognizing the rapidly evolving demands of the 21st century, we have integrated entrepreneurship education into our curriculum, equipping students with practical skills and critical thinking abilities.
“Our collaboration with BRUNEL University, London has further strengthened our approach.These initiatives align with our broader goal of transforming FCT secondary schools into hubs of creativity and economic empowerment”Ladan said.
Earlier, Director, FCT Science Innovation and Technology, Mr kolawole Olobashola explained that every nation needs innovative advancement to be able to compete favourably among other nations.
He said the strategy is aimed at empowering students to be innovative in producing and packaging quality products in a unique manner that
will earn them money to be self reliant financially.
Mr Olobashola added that the initiative is packaged to make students learn how to blend technology- based knowledge, with locally acquired skills to solve daily needs in the environment.
According to Mr Olobashola, the entrepreneurship education, which is currently receiving the support of the FCT Minister would nurture generations of secondary school graduates to become problem-solvers, innovators, and job creators, thereby reducing unemployment and over- dependency on their parents.
“Today marks the beginning of an exciting journey, where we will explore global approaches to Entrepreneurship education, focusing on science, technology, and innovation’.
Mr Olobashola expressed optimism that the programme would develop innovative pedagogies, build partnership acumen in the students and promote STEM- based entrepreneurship in future.