The Yobe state government has sent forth 237 senior secondary school principals, teachers, and mentors who will proceed to the National Teachers Institute (NTI) in Karu for a specialised study tour in 2026.
The delegation is made up of 79 principals and 158 educators, who are part of a broader manpower reform strategy by the state’s civil service.
A send-forth ceremony was held in Damaturu, Thursday under the auspices of the Office of the Head of Service.
Speaking through a representative, the state Head of Service, Alhaji Mohammed Musa Shehu, said the training aligned with the National Policy on Education 2013, which states that strong professional leadership is critical to improving schools.
“School managers must become effective leaders who support teachers’ professional growth,” Shehu said.
He also pointed to recent student performances in an international competition in the United Kingdom as evidence that the government’s declared state of emergency in education is yielding results.
The state’s Focal Person for Training and Succession Planning, Ibrahim Bulama Yusuf, stated that the selection process was handled by the relevant educational boards to ensure transparency.
“The participants drawn from the State Universal Basic Education Board, the Teaching Service Board, and the Science and Technical Education Board will receive full government sponsorship.
“Registration, accommodation and four daily meals have already been arranged with NTI,” Yusuf said.
Yobe’s NUT chairman, Ado Idriss, described the initiative as unprecedented, saying that 80 to 90 percent of the selected participants are on Grade Level 16, making them senior stakeholders in the education sector.