Partnership for Learning for All in Nigeria (PLANE) has trained about 504 teachers in Kaduna state on a digital platform, enabling them to share ideas, strengthen professional practice, and improve learning outcomes.
The initiative, Digital Community of Practice, aims to build a community of digitally empowered teachers.
The programme, piloted in four Local Government Areas (LGAs), provided teachers with an opportunity to gain credit units under the Teachers Registration Council of Nigeria (TRCN) scheme.
At the certificate dissemination ceremony for the first cohort on Friday in Kaduna, Northwest Nigeria, the State Team Lead of PLANE, Mrs Diana Agabi, explained that the training is centred on Foundational Literacy and Numeracy (FLN), using digital platforms such as WhatsApp to enable teachers to share ideas, interact, and strengthen classroom teaching and learning practices.
She added that the initiative introduces teachers to global best practices in digital learning, stressing that online platforms are widely adopted internationally, and Nigerian teachers must also embrace them to improve capacity and outcomes.
She noted that teachers are expected to share experiences, teaching feedback, and challenges on the platform, while colleagues respond with strategies, peer support, and innovative approaches to classroom management and inclusive learning.
Agabi explained that teachers learn how to manage diverse situations, including handling learners with disabilities, and can adopt practical ideas from their peers to improve teaching, build resilience, and enhance student performance.
She emphasised that the Teachers’ Digital Community of Practice Initiative was designed to encourage teachers to go beyond traditional classrooms and build professional communities driven by digital empowerment.
She noted that the programme also complements the TRCN scheme by providing participants with additional credit units as proof of professional growth, adding that it encourages other teachers yet to register to do so.
The State Coordinator of TRCN, Esther Natsa, explained that the council is the regulatory body responsible for overseeing the teaching profession, ensuring teacher development, setting standards, and offering opportunities for continuous professional growth across the country.
Natsa, represented by Nafisa Abbas, noted that the council plays a crucial role in enhancing teachers’ skills, upholding professional ethics, ensuring accountability, and improving teaching quality in Nigeria through structured programmes and policies, including accreditation of teacher training institutions.
She added that the Career Path Policy guides teachers’ progression through recruitment, training, and promotion, helping them meet professional standards while serving as the new national career guide to enable teachers to drive their own career development effectively.
She said TRCN organises Mandatory Continuous Professional Development (CPD) programmes to enhance teachers’ skills and adherence to best practices, while the TRCN Resource Hub provides access to lesson plans, unified curricula, teaching aids, and strategies for special needs learners.
The coordinator disclosed that the newly launched TRCN digital portal simplifies registration, licensing, and renewals, serving as a national database for tracking professional growth.
“Teachers can now update records, obtain licences, and print certificates conveniently from anywhere in Nigeria,” she added.
The Acting Executive Chairman of the Kaduna State Universal Basic Education Board (KADSUBEB), Mr Mubarak Muhammad, said the state government prioritises education, investing in human capital through teacher development.
He said over 26,000 teachers have been trained in various thematic areas, including literacy and numeracy.