MTN-SAIL Teachers’ Fellowship Trains 5,000 Public School Teachers, Introduces AI-Assisted Teaching

SAIL Empowerment Foundation and MTN Foundation have trained 5,000 Nigerian public school teachers in Inquiry-Based Learning and artificial intelligence (AI)-assisted teaching under the second cohort of the MTN-SAIL Teachers’ Fellowship. Of the 5,000 teachers trained, 500 selected participants graduated at a ceremony held on Thursday at the MTN Roof-Top Event Hall, Falomo, Ikoyi, Lagos. The latest cohort is the first to include a formal artificial intelligence component, with Microsoft contributing the curriculum through the MTN Foundation, making the graduating teachers among the first public school educators in Nigeria to receive formal training in responsible AI-assisted teaching. Valedictorians attended the ceremony physically from states across the federation, while other members of the graduating class participated online from all 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory. Delivering the keynote address, Co-Founder of SAIL Empowerment Foundation, Mrs Feyisola Abiru, said the initiative was founded on the conviction that teachers remained central to the success of Nigeria’s education system. “The teacher remains the most critical link between education policy and the Nigerian child,” Abiru said. She disclosed that the Teachers’ Fellowship, which began in 2022, had now trained more than 10,000 Nigerian public school teachers across the 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory. Abiru said the current cohort was made up entirely of public school teachers, reflecting SAIL’s deliberate focus on the education system serving the majority of Nigerian children. “The current cohort is made up entirely of public school teachers,” she said, adding that the beneficiaries were drawn from communities “where this kind of professional development is hardest to access.” She described teachers as “multipliers,” stressing that their influence can extend to hundreds of thousands of children. Abiru said, “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.” The SAIL co-founder urged the graduands not to treat the fellowship as merely an opportunity to obtain certificates, but to apply the knowledge gained in their classrooms and share it with other educators. “We urge you to go beyond collecting certificates and apply your knowledge in the classroom, train other teachers, and remain connected to the SAIL Alumni Network,” she said. 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 for the establishment of a permanent SAIL Alumni Network and the launch of the “SAIL: Where Are You Now?” reconnection campaign. She said the inaugural SAIL Founders’ Day and Alumni Celebration was scheduled for December. According to her, the foundation’s evolving institutional structure, including an independent Board of Trustees, is intended to ensure the sustainability and accountability of the organisation beyond its founders. The foundation also announced the SAIL Innovation Lab and Sport Centre, currently under construction in Orimedu, Ibeju-Lekki, Lagos. The facility will include a dedicated Teachers’ Lounge. Speaking on the partnership, Executive Director of the MTN Foundation, Mrs Odunayo Sanya, reaffirmed the foundation’s commitment to the Teachers’ Fellowship and its objective of improving education in Nigeria. “Our primary goal is to improve the quality of primary and secondary education in Nigeria,” Sanya said. She said the Inquiry-Based Learning approach was helping to transform classroom engagement by making lessons more participatory. “Inquiry-Based Learning methods have made lessons more participatory and improved learning outcomes,” she said. Lagos State Commissioner for Innovation, Science and Technology, Hon. Olatunbosun Alake, commended the founders and partners of the programme for their contribution to education and human capacity development. “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,” Alake said. Secretary to the Lagos State Government, Mrs Abimbola Salu-Hundeyin, described SAIL Empowerment Foundation as an important partner in the state’s efforts to promote innovation and digital skills. “SAIL Empowerment Foundation is a partner in accelerating innovation, digital skills adoption and future-ready jobs for young people in Lagos State,” Salu-Hundeyin said. The latest cohort of the Teachers’ Fellowship comes as schools and educators increasingly confront the need to integrate emerging technologies into teaching while ensuring that teachers are adequately equipped to use such tools responsibly. Through the combination of Inquiry-Based Learning and AI-assisted teaching, the organisers said the programme was designed to strengthen teachers’ capacity to deliver more engaging and relevant learning experiences to Nigerian pupils. The foundation said it would continue to strengthen its alumni community, expand opportunities for professional development and provide platforms through which teachers can continue learning and sharing knowledge after completing the fellowship.