Empowered teachers central to building generation of job creators – NERDC
Salisu Shehu, Executive Secretary of the Nigerian Educational Research and Development Council (NERDC), says Nigeria needs well empowered teachers to train new generation of job creators and innovators.
“When we empower teachers, we empower an entire generation. There is an urgency for us educators to empower our teachers,” Shehu stated during the recent 2025 SET4LYF national convening, a stakeholder engagement themed ‘Teaching Entrepreneurship with a focus on Teachers.
Shehu, who was represented by Olakunle Akinsola, Director of Educational Research (NERDC), emphasised that empowering teachers is central to building a generation of job creators and innovators.
He made this known in a keynote address entitled, ‘The Teacher as the Catalyst: Repositioning Educators to Deliver a Practical, Skills-Based Entrepreneurship Curriculum.’
He highlighted the need to reimagine entrepreneurship education beyond business creation to cultivating curiosity, problem-solving, and resilience in students.
Olaolu Akogun, Country Director, SET4LYF, said Junior Achievement Nigeria (JAN) aims to strengthen collaboration among key stakeholders and drive sustainable transformation in Nigeria’s education ecosystem.
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“Through SET4LYF (School-to-Work Educational Transition for Long-Term Youth Fulfilment), Junior Achievement Nigeria is magnifying this natural creativity, equipping teachers with tools and frameworks that connect education to real-world opportunities,” he noted.
Akogun also disclosed that JAN would also publish a communiqué to be developed by a technical working group, as part of its continued commitment to advancing entrepreneurship education in Nigeria.
According to him, the communiqué will outline actionable strategies for deepening the integration of entrepreneurship education into Nigeria’s national curriculum.
Tobiloba Olaosun, Marketing and Communications Manager, JAN, said that in recognition of the broad impact of the proposition, JAN remains open to strategic collaborations and partnerships with institutions and individuals committed to advancing the integration of entrepreneurship education within Nigeria’s national curriculum.
She added that the discussions at the
SET4LYF convening explored how educators can drive innovation, creativity, and entrepreneurial thinking in classrooms across Nigeria.
A plenary session entitled ‘Teachers as Catalysts for Entrepreneurship Education’ featured conversations on how teachers can lead innovation from within the school system.
Speakers agreed that teachers hold the blueprint for the future, while every lesson, conversation, and every spark of curiosity they ignite has the power to shape tomorrow’s thinkers, creators, and leaders.
The convening reaffirmed that teachers are, in many ways, the first entrepreneurs their students encounter, constantly innovating in their classrooms, by adapting lessons to meet diverse learning needs, and creating engaging experiences with limited resources.
