Minister of State for the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Dr. Mariya Mahmoud, has called on the management staff of the FCT College of Education, Zuba, to run an all-embracing curriculum that is rich, globally compliant and locally relevant.
Mahmoud who spoke at the combined 3rd Convocation Ceremony of the FCT College of Education Zuba, also noted that by adapting the curriculum to meaningful change, the College should be able to produce sound graduates that would be marketable, globally competitive and relevant.
While congratulating the 6,068 new graduates on the successful completion of their various courses and programmes of study in the College, she charged them to put into practice the knowledge, expertise, and skills they have garnered from the College to the noble cause of national development.
The minister acknowledged that the administration was aware of the infrastructural deficits in its education sector, she however, noted that it has made deliberate and sustained efforts to surmount these challenges by spending over 13 billion naira in its school renovation programme.
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“The current FCT Administration will not relent in its commitment to following due process, preserving the sanctity of the rule of law, securing the lives and property of our people, and rehabilitating or upgrading our critical infrastructure,” she affirmed.
Mahmoud called on the college to continue to adjust to the ever changing demands of modern day world by repositioning itself through training and retraining of staff, especially in the area of the use of ICT based technologies in teaching, so as to encourage impactful education that would bring about sustainable development.
She said, “this College should be the vanguard of research and community service in line with their tripartite mandate.
“Our College, as citadel of learning, should take the lead in championing demand-driven research that would serve the society in making human lives better and enriched”.
The minister commended the College for the industrial peace between the staff and student unions, while hoping that it will continue so as to ensure that the territory has a stable higher education sector that positively contributes to national and global competiveness.
Mahmoud assured that the current FCT Administration would give maximum support, within the available resources, to every planned and sincere effort that is geared towards excellence.
The Provost of the College, Dr. Sule Mundi, in his remarks revealed that a total of 6,068, comprising 4,625 NCE regular and 1,443 NCE part-time graduands have been found worthy both in character and learning for the award of Nigeria Certificate in Education of the College.
Mundi, therefore, appealed to the Administration for adequate funding to enable the College expands its programmes by introducing the technical component such as automobile technology, building, electrical and electronics.
He stressed that the importance of such courses cannot be over emphasised, especially as such categories of teachers are looking at the basic and post basic level in addition to the fact that they provided a platform for self-reliance.
He, however, thanked the FCT Minister for his timely intervention on issues that border on the continued growth and development of the College.
While welcoming guests to the occasion, the FCT Education Mandate Secretary, Dr. Danlami Hayyo, noted that the convocation ceremony was a fulfilment of FCT Administrator’s determination to place the College on a high platform in the comity of colleges of education globally.
The highpoint of the convocation ceremony was the conferment of fellowship awards and certificates of excellence to best graduating students.
