FCT schools adapting to 21st century demands through entrepreneurship education  

By Philip Yatai

The Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCT) says secondary schools in the territory are adapting to the demands of the 21st century through entrepreneurship education.

Dr Danlami Hayyo,  Mandate Secretary in the Education Secretariat stated this in Abuja on Monday, at the opening of a two-day training of FCT teachers on innovation and entrepreneurship education.

Hayyo, who was represented by the Per

manent Secretary in the Secretariat, Mrs Joy Okeke, said that the FCT was repositioning its schools to produce students who could think independently, create confidently and compete globally.

He explained that the demands of the 21st century revolves around learners who were innovative, adaptable, entrepreneurial and capable of solving real-world problems.

He noted that the world was 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 and rote learning no longer suffice.

“In the FCT, we have embraced this reality by reimagining education to produce students who can think independently, create confidently, and compete globally.

“To achieve this, we must start with our teachers – the bedrock of our education system.”

The mandate secretary said that the training was part of the FCT Administration’s bold step to reform, renew, and reposition education in the territory.

He added that the teachers’ training was part of a larger and strategic roadmap, which followed a recent capacity-building programme for Principals and Vice Principals Academics.

He 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 that 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.

“Education should not exist in isolation. The inclusion of artisans, entrepreneurs, and business mentors in this programme reflects our commitment to bridging the gap between the classroom and the marketplace.

“These collaborations will provide students with hands-on learning experiences, apprenticeships, and real-world exposure,” he said.

He described the FCT’s Entrepreneurship and Innovation Programme as a “transformative initiative”, designed to reposition the territory’s education 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 calls for creativity, critical thinking, problem-solving, and above all, an entrepreneurial mindset.

“This programme seeks to empower our educators with practical knowledge and pedagogical tools that will enable them to teach entrepreneurship in engaging, contextualised, and impactful ways.

“We aim to cultivate teachers who can guide students not only to seek jobs but to create them.

“Our goal in the FCT is to align our education system with this global direction by fostering a culture of innovation and entrepreneurship right from the classroom,” he said.

Ladan said that 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 were aligned toward a unified goal of cultivating entrepreneurial learners, equipped for a rapidly changing world.

One of the teachers, Mr Paul Bingil of Government Secondary School, Pegi, commended the FCTA for organising the training saying, “it will equip teachers with new concept and methodology to make teaching and learning interesting”. (NAN)(www.nannews.ng)