CITIZENS COMPASS— The SAIL Empowerment Foundation and the MTN Foundation yesterday, trained 5,000 Nigerian public-school teachers in Inquiry-Based Learning and AI-assisted teaching under the 2nd Cohort of the MTN-SAIL Teachers’ Fellowship. Of these, 500 teachers selected for Phase 2 graduated at a ceremony at the MTN Roof-Top Event Hall, Falomo, Ikoyi, Lagos.
This cohort is the first to include a formal artificial intelligence component, with Microsoft contributing the curriculum through the MTN Foundation. The graduating teachers are among the first public school educators in Nigeria formally trained in responsible AI-assisted teaching.
Valedictorians attended the ceremony in person from states across the federation, while the rest of the graduating class joined online from all 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory. The ceremony marked another milestone in the Foundation’s work to strengthen Nigeria’s education system through teacher development.
Delivering the keynote address, Co-Founder of SAIL Empowerment Foundation, Mrs Feyisola Abiru, said the initiative was built on the conviction that the teacher remains the most critical link between education policy and the Nigerian child.
The wife of Tokunbo st Abiru, the Senator representing Lagos-East Senatorial District said the Fellowship, which began in 2022, has now trained more than 10,000 Nigerian public school teachers across all 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory.Eas
According to her, the current cohort was made up entirely of public school teachers, reflecting SAIL’s deliberate focus on the education system that serves the majority of Nigerian children. The teachers were drawn from communities where this kind of professional development is hardest to access.
Abiru described teachers as “multipliers,” noting that if each of the 5,000 teachers trained in the current cohort reaches an average of 80 pupils a year, the programme could indirectly impact about 400,000 children in a single year.
She urged the graduands to go beyond collecting certificates and apply their knowledge in the classroom, train other teachers, and remain connected to the SAIL Alumni Network.
Three outstanding graduands were recognised for exceptional commitment and classroom application of the training. Each received a new laptop and laptop bag from the SAIL Empowerment Foundation to support continued learning and teaching.
Abiru also announced plans to establish a permanent SAIL Alumni Network, alongside the launch of the “SAIL: Where Are You Now?” reconnection campaign and the inaugural SAIL Founders’ Day and Alumni Celebration scheduled for December.
She added that SAIL’s evolving institutional structure, including an independent Board of Trustees, is designed to ensure the Foundation remains sustainable and accountable beyond its founders.
The Foundation also announced the SAIL Innovation Lab and Sport Centre, currently under construction in Orimedu, Ibeju-Lekki. The facility will include a dedicated Teachers’ Lounge.
Executive Director of the MTN Foundation, Mrs Odunayo Sanya, reaffirmed the MTN Foundation’s commitment to the Teachers’ Fellowship, noting the impact the programme has made. She said the primary goal of the training is to improve the quality of primary and secondary education in Nigeria, adding that Inquiry-Based Learning methods have made lessons more participatory and improved learning outcomes.
The Lagos State Commissioner for Innovation, Science and Technology, Hon. Olatunbosun Alake, commended the founders and partners of the programme. He said the Lagos State Government appreciates the significant investment of the founders, Senator Tokunbo Abiru and Mrs Feyisola Abiru, in education and human capacity development in the state.
Hon. Jamiu Tolani Alli-Balogun, Lagos State Honourable Commissioner for Basic and Secondary Education, also hailed Senator Abiru’s contributions to the education sector of Lagos. He described him as an Octopus who has touched many places in and outside Lagos East Senatorial district.
The Secretary to the Lagos State Government, Mrs Abimbola Salu-Hundeyin, described SAIL Empowerment Foundation as a partner in accelerating innovation, digital skills adoption and future-ready jobs for young people in Lagos State.
Dr. Khodor Fawaz and Mr. Innocent Oseghe, members of the Board of Trustees of the SAIL Empowerment Foundation, were also in attendance.
