The Federal Ministry of Education has pledged to deepen Nigeria’s partnership with the Africa Federation of Teaching Regulatory Authorities (AFTRA) to strengthen the teaching profession and improve education outcomes across the continent.
The Minister of Education, Dr Maruf Tunji Alausa, made this known when he received the leadership of AFTRA, led by its President, Dr Ebby Mubanga, and Secretary General, Ms Ella Mokgalane, at the Federal Ministry of Education.
The meeting focused on ways to increase the number of qualified teachers across Africa while expanding opportunities for continuous professional development and capacity building for those already in the profession.
Alausa noted that Nigeria has maintained a longstanding relationship with AFTRA, which was established in Abuja in 2010. He added that Nigeria continues to host the federation’s Academic Headquarters, underscoring the country’s role in efforts to strengthen teaching regulation and professional standards across Africa.
The minister said the quality of teachers remains critical to the success of education reforms, stressing that educators are central to President Bola Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda and the ministry’s Nigeria Education Sector Renewal Initiative (NESRI).
He explained that the sixth pillar of NESRI, Quality Assurance, is particularly focused on strengthening teacher training, professional advancement and capacity building across the country.
According to him, improving the teaching profession requires sustained investment in the skills and professional development of educators, as well as stronger regulatory frameworks capable of maintaining standards.
Alausa said Nigeria would continue to support AFTRA’s efforts to promote professionalism within the teaching sector and foster cooperation among teaching regulatory authorities across African countries.
He expressed optimism that a stronger partnership between Nigeria and AFTRA would contribute to improving the quality of teaching and learning and ultimately produce better education outcomes across the continent.
