By Ihechinyere Chigemeri-Uwom
Umuahia, May 9, 2025
The Abia Government on Friday commenced the training of public school teachers for its Smart Schools initiative to drive digital innovation in the state .
Speaking to newsmen at the event in Umuahia, the Executive Chairman of Abia State Universal Basic Education Board(ASUBEB), Mrs. Lydia Onuoha, described the programme as the start of a new era for basic education in Abia.
According to her, the initiative is unprecedented and would be of immense benefit to pupils across the state’s public schools.
Onuoha said the current training focused on preparing teachers to operate and manage Smart Schools effectively.
She expressed optimism that the training would herald more improvements in the school system across the state.
She said that teachers from all 17 local governments of the state had been selected to take part in the first phase of the training.
She revealed that the trained teachers would train others in the system and that plans were underway to convert many classrooms to become “smart” before the end of 2025.
“By the end of the year, a good number of our teachers would have been smart school compliant,” she said.
She said: “This is the technology age, and our children will not be left out, technology is making the world a global village, and Abia will not be left out.”
According to her, with this intervention Abia public schools will be part of the global community that have access to smart boards in their classrooms.
“The project is backed by a reputable global technology partner.
“We have a service provider that is of international standard that is here to support this transformation,” Onuoha said.
The Director for Teacher Development at ASUBEB, Mrs. Nnenna Ugochukwu, described the training as a transformative programme aimed at improving learning outcomes and preparing children to compete globally.
Ugochukwu highlighted the state’s commitment to integrating digital tools such as interactive boards and tablets into the learning environment.
“Our children are no longer interested in the traditional method of teaching, they are immersed in the digital world, and we must meet them where they are.
“This blended learning approach is designed to reignite their interest in education while enhancing teaching delivery,” she said.
Ugochukwu urged the teachers undergoing the training to take the training seriously.
The Managing Director of Blue Giraffe Development Limited, Mrs. Oreji Osonwa-Emele described the project as a bold step towards modernising the state’s education system.
She said : ”The governor visited Ofali Agwu Smart School in Ohafia and saw our smart school model, which inspired him to replicate it across the state.”
Osonwa-Emele revealed that each selected school would receive tablets for both teachers and pupils, with the rollout starting at the primary school level.
According to her, this will allow the governor and education officials to monitor classroom activity remotely.
Osonwa-Emele said that the programme would also address growing concerns about students’ poor performance in computer-based tests such as JAMB and future WAEC examinations, increasingly moving to digital formats.
She disclosed that during an earlier visit to Ofali Agwu, the governor offered automatic employment to 29 teachers who had been trained to effectively use the smart boards within just eight days.
“Those who take the training seriously may also be considered for employment opportunities, just as His Excellency did before,”she said.
Also, a facilitator at the training programme, Mrs. Onyema Kalu, said the programme had been structured to help teachers effectively operate smart boards and adopt innovative teaching methods suitable for 21st-century learning.
Kalu said that the training, which is the initial phase of the programme, focused on smart board usage and modern pedagogy.
