UNESCO, EU Roll Out Major Teacher-Development Programme To Strengthen Nigeria’s Education System

The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), has launched a wide-ranging capacity-building initiative targeting teachers, head teachers and School-Based Management Committees (SBMCs) as part of a renewed push to strengthen teacher development and improve learning outcomes across Nigeria.

The programme, funded by the European Union and implemented in collaboration with the Enugu State Ministry of Education and the Enugu State Universal Basic Education Board (ENSUBEB), is designed to enhance the quality of instruction in classrooms and support long-term reforms in Nigeria’s basic education sector.

Speaking at the training held in Enugu, UNESCO Programme Assistant for the Expand, Integrate and Strengthen Systems (EISS) Project, Maureen Chiedozie, said the intervention is central to efforts to build a more resilient teaching workforce capable of driving sustainable human development.

Chiedozie explained that the EISS project is anchored on globally recognised frameworks, including the African Union’s Agenda 2063 and the United Nations Agenda 2030, both of which emphasise inclusive, equitable and quality education.

The initiative is currently being implemented in six states, Adamawa, Bayelsa, Enugu, Katsina, Plateau and Oyo representing all six geopolitical zones of the country.

She highlighted that the training in Enugu forms a key component of Outcome 3 of the EISS programme, which focuses on establishing Teacher Learning Teams (TLTs) across groups of schools. These teams are expected to promote collaboration, strengthen peer-learning structures, and ultimately improve professional practice within the classroom.

“Through TLTs, teachers will be better connected to their students, colleagues and the wider community, creating an ecosystem that supports improved learning outcomes,” Chiedozie said. “This engagement represents a major milestone in our broader objective of strengthening systems, improving governance and elevating the overall quality of teaching and learning across Nigeria.”

She noted that the project will also reinforce teacher preparation for emerging job demands, support both pre-service and in-service training, and guide the development of policies on teacher recruitment, management and retention.

The overarching goal, she added, is to boost student attainment by expanding the number of well-trained and professionally supported teachers nationwide.

In his remarks, Chairman of ENSUBEB, Assoc. Prof. Hyginus Okibe, expressed strong optimism about the initiative’s potential impact on the basic education sector.

He said the combination of reliable school data, advanced teacher training and active stakeholder participation would significantly improve the state’s capacity to support teachers and transform learning experiences.

According to him, the EISS intervention marks “a major step forward in strengthening education governance and accelerating teacher-development reforms” in Enugu and across the participating states.

Participants at the training also received a technical briefing on GPS-enabled school-mapping methodology, a tool designed to improve data accuracy and support evidence-based decision-making within the education system.

The session concluded with a pilot demonstration exercise conducted within the state capital.

The UNESCO–EU initiative is expected to scale across more schools in the coming months, with education stakeholders describing it as a timely support programme capable of reshaping Nigeria’s basic education landscape.