New Director-General/ Chief Executive, National Teachers’ Institute (NTI) Kaduna, Prof. Musa Garba Maitafsir, has said that his administration will consolidate on the gains of previous administration by prioritising qualities in academic and administrative activities.
Addressing an interactive meeting with the staff of the Institute, shortly after taking over leadership its at the headquarters, on Thursday, Maitafsir, a professor of education psychology, said he was set to tackle the challenges around delay in release of students results, missing grades, teaching practice and projects and omission of names from the printout, while bridging the gaps for maximum results.
Prof. Maitafsir, who was former Executive Chairman, State Universal Basic Education Board (SUBEB), Sokoto state between 2012 and 2015, was appointed the new NTI DG/CE effective from September 2, 2021 for a first term of five years.
He assured the staff of a conducive environment for them to work and contribute their quota in promoting the image of the Institute and efficient service delivery to its students.
“I’m aware of the numerous efforts put in place by the immediate past leadership to improve conduct of examinations. However, delay in the release of students results, cases of missing grades, including teaching practice and projects, as well as omission of students from the printout are some of the challenges, that will be tackled,” he said..
Expressing concern on the quality of teachers in the country, Prof. Maitafsir said the Institute must now prioritise quality in both academic and administrative activities.
He tasked the Institute’s department of quality assurance and ICT to develop a comprehensive checklist and standard tools on how to sustain and improve on the quality of service delivery in all its activities. ‘’We shall provide Information Technology (IT) infrastructure for the Institute and ensure its deployment in all our programmes. Course books should be made available to students as and when due. We shall condone no more delay in the payment of course facilitators allowances, so as to further improve the image of the Institute. ..
“Despite the improvement in the Institute’s academic activities, the students’ course books must be reviewed in line with 2021 National Commission for Colleges of Education (NCCE) minimum standards and current National Universities Commission (NUC)’s minimum standard for Bachelor degree programmes and Post Graduate Diploma in Education (PGDE) programmes,” he said.The new DG promised to strengthen partnership and collaboration with sister agencies, international development partners, SDGs, and ensure that the Strengthening of Mathematics and Science Education (SMASE) trainings, Commonwealth of Learning and BAY state training hold without delay.He emphasised on priority on due-process in the activities of the Institute, staff development and welfare.
The acting Registrar and Secretary to NTI Council, Mal. Ibrahim Hamidu, congratulated the new DG/CE, noting that the Institute’s management and staff will cooperate with him to realise his plans for the Institute.
The Institute’s Director of Examinations, Dr. Bashir Mamman, who was Acting DG/CE during the transition from the former DG/CE, Prof. Garba Dahuwa Azare, expressed willingness to work with the new DG/CE as a team.
