UNESCO PARTNERS NCCE ON TEACHER EDUCATION-PROF. OKWELLE

The Executive Secretary, National Commission for Colleges of Education, Professor Paulinus Chijioke Okwelle, has testified that NCCE over the years has enjoyed the support of UNESCO in implementing viable projects in the operations of Colleges of Education in Nigeria. He stated this while delivering a goodwill message via Zoom platform on the occasion of UNESCO Regional Office, Abuja Tenth Global Media and Literacy (MIL) week held on the 26th of October 2021. The Executive Secretary, who was represented by the Director, Information and Communication Technology, NCCE, Mr. Pius Ekireghwo mentioned some of the key interventions UNESCO have made in supporting NCCE in the past which include: Survey of Science Equipment/ Facilities in Colleges of Education; Capacity Building for Lecturers in Colleges of Education on ICT Application in Teaching and Learning; Capacity Building for Teacher Educators in the Implementation of Family Life and Emerging Health Issues (FLEHI) Curriculum in COEs (100 Teacher Educators in November, 2019 and 300 Pre- Service and in- Service Teachers in June and July 2021) among others. Addressing MIL 2021 theme, (Media and Information Literacy for Public good), the Executive Secretary representative said “Celebration of this kind clearly resonates with the desires of stakeholders, particularly as it recognizes the primary role of Information and Media in everyday lives. MIL is a combination of knowledge, attitudes, skills, and practices required to access, analyze, evaluate, use to produce and communicate information and knowledge in creative, legal and ethical ways that respect Human Rights.” Mr. Ekireghwo on behalf of the Executive Secretary appreciated UNESCO for the kind gesture in deeming it fit to contribute in bringing Teacher Education in Nigeria to a global level in terms of Media and Information literacy. He however emphasized that the teaching of MIL in COEs in Nigeria is yet to reach the desired spread projected by NCCE. He appealed to UNESCO for a continuous support in training more teacher educators in Nigeria on MIL. In response, the UNESCO Regional Office Representative, Abuja said “We have heard your request and hoping that the stakeholders here (participants) will be able to find a way forward because working with NCCE is a great achievement. We hope to be able to sustain the partnership because it goes down to the grassroots.” Global Media and Information Literacy Week, commemorated annually, is a major occasion for stakeholders to review and celebrate the progress ahead towards media and information literacy for all.