NTI Director urges staff to acquire entrepreneurial skills

NTI Director urges staff to acquire entrepreneurial skills

Skills

By Aisha Gambo

Kaduna, June 28, 2024 ( NAN) Prof. Musa Maitafsir, the Director and Chief Executive of the National Teachers’ Institute(NTI), Kaduna, has called on the staff of the Institute to acquire entrepreneurial skills, as a way of augmenting their incomes and supporting themselves.

Maitafsir, who was represented by the Registrar and Secretary to Council, Hajiya Fatima Abbas-Jega, made the call on Friday at  the ‘Second NTI Teacher Acculturation’ public lecture organised by the Department of Academic Services.

He said,  “Together, let’s explore how this holistic approach can propel our nation towards greater prosperity and sustainable development.”

Maitafsir called on the staff to embrace the opportunity and explore its innovative approaches that will have a way for a more secure and prosperous future for them.

He said the public lecture stood as a testament to the commitment in fostering an educational environment that goes beyond textbooks and traditional methodologies.

The NTI chief executive described the theme of the public lecture: “Agriculture as a more Productive and Profitable Retirement Plan,” as having significant implications for the future of  education and the well-being of staff.

Maitafsir added, “Inculcating our civil servants with entrepreneurial skills is not just only a necessity, but strategically imperative for national growth and sustainability.”

He said the public lecture was about nurturing an entrepreneurial spirit among the staff of the Institute and students as well as the general public, so as to enable them to instill valuable skills in the learners they guide and mentor.

In his first presentation on ‘Civil Service Reforms,’ the Guest Speaker, Zubairu Abdullahi, said the service has been the most stable arm of government since the colonial period.

The News Agency of Nigeria ( NAN) reports that Abdullahi is the Director, Special Duties, Office of the Permanent Secretary, Federal Ministry of Education.

He highlighted  some key reforms in the service, stating that  the Renewed Hope Agenda of President Bola Tinubu was centred on 23 deliverables, which he said NTI under Maitafsir has already queued in, especially in areas of innovation and technology.

Abdullahi emphasised on capacity building, performance management function as well as IPPIS human resource component and innovation, among other pillars of the reforms.

He said, “By developing standard operating procedures to track performance of staff, everybody must contribute.”

Specifically on innovation, the director charged the staff to think outside the box, stating further, ”life is easy if technology is embraced.”

On prioritising staff welfare as part of the pillars of the reforms, the guest speaker said there was the need for good staff welfare, which will enhance performance.

He, however, said loyalty was key and therefore called on the staff to support the present administration of Maitafsir.

In his second paper, ” Agriculture as a more productive and profitable retirement plan,” which is the fulcrum of the public lecture, Abdullahi vividly depicted the economic importance of agriculture in the life of a civil servant.

He discussed the crop farming component as well as  animal breeding, highlighting the values, modern practices and cultivation of various food crop species that were suitable and profitable in Nigeria.

The Director, Academic Services Department, Dr Oyedeji Omobola, appreciated what she described as the exceptional leadership of Maitafsir, under whom the Institute has advanced its mission of elevating the standard of teacher education and professional development.

She acknowledged that NTI was getting to its peak, extolling the unwavering commitment of Maitaafsr to innovation, excellence and the empowerment of educators.

Omobola said that this has transformed NTI into a beacon of knowledge and growth, appreciating the other management staff for their contribution to the success of the public lecture. ( NAN) (www.nannews.ng)

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