Save the Children International, FG Certify and Induct 130 Volunteer Teachers Across 5 States, 46 From Benue

From Dooshima Terkura, Makurdi

As part of efforts to strengthen the teaching workforce in underserved and hard-to-reach communities, Save the Children International, through the Global Partnership for Education (GPE) project in collaboration with the Federal and State Ministries of Education, has certified and inducted 130 new teachers across five states, with 46 coming from Benue.

The initiative marks a significant step in improving the quality of basic education in Nigeria.

Save the Children International, a non-governmental organization, certified and inducted the 130 volunteer teachers into the teaching profession through the Teachers Registration Council of Nigeria (TRCN). The induction ceremony held on Friday, November 28, 2025.

The GPE Programme Manager, Mr. Joseph Kolapo, explained that the induction was conducted in Adamawa, Akwa Ibom, Benue, Cross River, and Taraba states—reflecting a collective commitment to expanding access to quality learning for vulnerable children, including refugees, children with disabilities, and those in rural host communities.

He noted that under the GPE project, volunteer teachers were deployed and supported in communities experiencing acute shortages of government teachers, with 46 successfully inducted in Benue State.

Kolapo described the exercise as the fulfillment of a long-standing commitment to strengthening Nigeria’s education system. He stated that the volunteers were posted to schools lacking government teachers and given continuous training to enhance their capacity.

According to him, Save the Children also assisted volunteers without TRCN certification by registering them for the Professional Qualifying Examination (PQE), which enabled them to become fully licensed teachers.

“In schools where government teachers are inadequate, we recruited and posted volunteer teachers and provided them with a series of professional trainings. For those without TRCN certification, we registered them for the exam, and today, 46 of those who passed are being inducted as professional teachers in Benue State,” he said.

He appealed to the government to absorb the newly certified teachers into the state workforce, urging the Ministry of Education and the State Universal Basic Education Board (SUBEB) to consider them for employment.

The State Commissioner for Education and Knowledge Management, Dr. Margaret Adamu, represented by the Director of Education Support Services, Mrs. Sember Saamo, expressed the state government’s appreciation to Save the Children International and the Federal Ministry of Education for including Benue in the project.

She commended SCI for its careful implementation and encouraged the inductees to uphold professionalism.

“We appreciate the Federal Government for considering our state. We also appreciate Save the Children International for the meticulous and judicious work done,” Saamo said while urging the teachers to create conducive learning environments.

The Executive Chairman of SUBEB, Dr. Grace Adagba, represented by the Liaison Officer for Donor Agencies, Mr. Cletus Ikpilakaa, advised the inductees to take their new responsibility seriously as they help shape the future of children.

“To the volunteer teachers being inducted today, you are not just teachers but instructors shaping the future of learners. Do not treat the induction as a mere ceremony but as a challenge to do more in the classroom and make it learner-centered rather than teacher-centered,” he encouraged.

Representatives of the Registrar of TRCN and the Federal Ministry of Education, Mrs. Mary Aniekwe and Mrs. Rose Udohekpo, also applauded Save the Children International for supporting the professionalization of volunteer teachers under the GPE project.

Aniekwe described the certification as a gateway to greater opportunities, noting that the certificates would enable the teachers to work anywhere. She urged them to be ambassadors of TRCN and SCI.

One of the inductees, Mr. Simon Ukor, expressed gratitude to Save the Children International and TRCN for giving them a professional identity.

“Today, it has given us the inspiration and confidence to call ourselves professional teachers. Before now, when colleagues asked whether we were professional teachers, we questioned ourselves—do we have TRCN certification? Do we have a licence to teach? Now we do, and it makes me proud to stand before my colleagues. I say a big thank you to Save the Children International and TRCN,” he said.

In her closing remarks, the Commissioner for Education and Knowledge Management encouraged the newly inducted teachers to uphold the ethics and standards set by TRCN and to contribute to improving the quality of education in their communities.