As part of the sweeping education reforms introduced by Governor Peter Mbah’s administration, the Enugu State Government has announced ongoing intensification of training for more than 18,000 public school teachers with phase 1 already concluded.
The training is a preparatory move ahead of the resumption of Smart Green Schools across the state, set to begin in September 2025.
This was even as the state government stated that it would be partnering with local governments on intensive training of teachers on the phase 2 programme which would soon commence.
The Commissioner for Education, Prof. Ndubueze Mbah, disclosed this at a seminar held over the weekend in Enugu. He stated that the teachers—comprising both newly recruited and existing educators—underwent a rigorous training programme focused on digital literacy and 21st-century instructional methods.
The initiative, he noted, is part of the state’s commitment to repositioning education through innovation and technology.
Prof. Mbah further explained that the training was necessitated by the state’s strategic shift from traditional teaching and learning practices, such as rote memorisation, to experiential and interactive learning models.
“We are ushering in a new era where learners are equipped not just with facts, but with applicable knowledge and skills that are relevant in the modern world. We cannot achieve this feat without first training our teachers and equipping them with requisite knowledge needed for this strategic pedagogy,” the commissioner said.
“The Smart Green Schools, a flagship education programme of the Mbah administration, are designed to integrate digital tools, smart classrooms, and new subjects into the basic education system. Additionally, the training also covered Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET), which aims to empower students with practical skills for entrepreneurship and employability,” he added.
According to him, the administration had, in a bold move to ensure quality education, earlier conducted a computer-based Content Specialty Test and Digital Literacy Assessment in August 2024, saying 17,620 applicants sat for the test, with only 16% passing the benchmark.
He revealed that those who passed, alongside 18,052 existing teachers in public schools, underwent further intensive digital training.
As a follow-up to the phase one programme, the state government has announced a strategic partnership with local government chairmen across Enugu to kickstart phase two of the training. This next phase, according to Prof. Mbah, will intensify focus on classroom application of digital tools and continuous professional development for teachers in rural and urban areas.
The commissioner emphasized that more advanced trainings and evaluations would be conducted before the September resumption date, in line with the Enugu State Teachers Professional Development Policy.
He stressed that the initiatives also align with the Education Transformation Plan 2025–2035, which seeks to reimagine the state’s education sector into a globally competitive and locally relevant system.
Speaking on the broader vision, Prof. Mbah highlighted that the Smart Green Schools and TVET programmes were crafted not only to make students competitive in the global knowledge economy but also to position them as problem-solvers in their communities.
“Our students will not just consume knowledge; they will create it, apply it, and profit from it,” he said.
He also commended Governor Mbah for his unwavering commitment to education, noting that Enugu now boasts the highest subnational education budget in the country.
“This kind of financial prioritisation is rare and shows that our governor understands that the future of any state lies in the quality of its education,” the commissioner concluded.
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