COL, in collaboration with the National Teachers’ Institute (NTI) Kaduna, officially launched the Advanced Diploma in Environmental Education Programme, also known as the Green Teacher Nigeria programme on 26 September 2018. This 12-month blended online programme targets primary and secondary school teachers, as well as staff of environmental protection agencies and other stakeholders in the country. COL has implemented the Green Teacher programme in India and welcomes this collaboration with NTI which gives teachers and learners an opportunity to empower themselves with the knowledge and skills of transacting education for the environment and sustainable development in schools.

During the inauguration, the Executive Secretary, National Board for Technical Education, Dr Mansur Mas’udu Kazaure, read the message from Nigeria’s Honourable Minister of Education, Mallam Adamu Adamu, which stated: “I applaud the Institute for taking advantage of the opportunities provided by new technology to deliver the new diploma programme.”

NTI’s Director General and Chief Executive, Professor Garba Dahuwa Azare, stressed the commitment of the Institute towards improving the quality of teachers at all levels of the nation’s education system through its various training programmes.

“The Green Teacher Programme is a statement of innovation in environmental education, an aspect that clearly resonates with COL’s focus on learning for sustainable development. The partnership with NTI marks an important milestone in teacher and learner empowerment in the conservation and improvement of the environment,” said COL’s Adviser: Teacher Education, Dr Betty Ogange.