By Ismaila Jimoh, Abuja
Federal Capital Territory Administration, FCTA, said secondary schools in the territory are adapting to the demands of the 21st century through entrepreneurship education.
Mandate Secretary of the Education Secretariat, Dr Danlami Hayyo stated this in Abuja Monday at the opening of a two-day training for FCT teachers on innovation and entrepreneurship education.
Hayyo, who was represented by the Permanent Secretary in the secretariat, Mrs Joy Okeke, said the FCT is repositioning its schools to produce students who can think independently, create confidently and compete globally.
He explained that the demands of the 21st century revolve around learners who are innovative, adaptable, entrepreneurial and capable of solving real-world problems.
He noted that the world is changing at an unprecedented pace, adding that the fourth industrial revolution has fundamentally altered the way people live, work and think.
According to him, traditional education systems that focus solely on academic theory can no longer suffice.
The mandate secretary said the training was part of the FCT Administration’s bold step to reform, renew and reposition education in the territory.
He added that the training was part of a larger and strategic roadmap, which followed a recent capacity-building programme for principals and vice principals (academics).
Hayyo explained the principals and their deputies were equipped to lead entrepreneurship education from a policy and leadership level.
“Today’s training continues that momentum by equipping classroom teachers with the knowledge, strategies and tools to infuse entrepreneurial thinking into everyday teaching,” he said.
Earlier, the Director/Secretary, FCT Secondary Education Board, Dr Mohammed Ladan, said the training was designed to equip teachers with 21st century skills.
Ladan added that the programme was also to integrate innovation into entrepreneurship and promote community and industry collaboration.
He described FCT’s Entrepreneurship and Innovation Programme as a “transformative initiative”, designed to reposition the territory’s educational system toward producing innovative, enterprising and self-reliant learners.
He pointed out that the evolving global economy demands more than just academic knowledge, but also creativity, critical thinking, problem-solving and above all, an entrepreneurial mindset.
Ladan said the training introduced strategies for integrating entrepreneurial thinking across subjects and classes, ensuring that all students benefit regardless of their field of study.
He added that it would also strengthen the foundation at the classroom level, ensuring that both leadership and pedagogy align toward a unified goal of cultivating entrepreneurial learners, equipped for a rapidly changing world.
