The Vice-Chancellor of Ibrahim Badamasi Babangida University, Lapai, Professor Mohammed Hadi Sulaiman, has assured of the University’s commitment to partnering with the Lapai Local Education Authority (LEA) to strengthen basic education through capacity building, teacher development, ICT training, and other strategic interventions.
The assurance was given when the Education Secretary of the Lapai Local Education Authority, Malam Umar Yanda Galadima, led his Management team on a courtesy visit to the Vice-Chancellor at his office.
Professor Mohammed Hadi Sulaiman acknowledged the challenges confronting basic education in the area, particularly the shortage of qualified teachers, inadequate staff development opportunities, and the need for improved ICT capacity among teachers and administrators.
He noted that the University would carefully examine the requests presented by the Education Authority and identify practical areas where it could provide support in line with its available resources and mandate.
The Vice-Chancellor explained that while the University is not a government agency, it remains committed to fulfilling its statutory responsibility of teaching, research, and community service.
He assured the delegation that the University’s Management would deliberate on the proposals and formally communicate areas of intervention, including ICT capacity-building programmes, professional development for teachers, and the deployment of students from the Faculty of Education for teaching practice to help bridge the manpower gap in schools across the Local Government Area.
Professor Suleiman further highlighted the University’s ongoing Summer Science Coaching Programme designed to improve students’ performance in WAEC and NECO examinations, adding that the second phase of the programme would commence in August.
According to him, the initiative demonstrates the University’s determination to contribute meaningfully to educational development from the secondary school level while extending similar interventions to basic education.
Earlier, the Education Secretary of the Lapai Local Education Authority, Malam Umar Yanda Galadima, expressed appreciation to the University for its longstanding support to education within the Local Government Area.
He said the visit was not only to convey the Authority’s gratitude but also to seek a broader partnership that would improve the quality of teaching and learning in primary and junior secondary schools. He observed that the presence of a reputable Institution such as IBB University in Lapai presents an invaluable opportunity for the Local Education Authority to benefit from the University’s academic expertise and professional experience.
Malam Galadima identified inadequate staffing, limited opportunities for teacher capacity development, and insufficient ICT knowledge among teachers and management staff as some of the major challenges facing basic education in the area.
He appealed to the University to support the continuous training of teachers, especially in digital literacy and modern teaching methods, while also requesting that education students on teaching practice be posted to schools under the Local Education Authority.
He further invited the Vice-Chancellor to visit the newly established science-oriented basic school in Lapai, describing it as a strategic investment aimed at nurturing future scientists and technology-driven learners.
In their remarks, other members of the University Management, commended the initiative, describing the visit as a significant step towards deepening collaboration between the University and its host community.
They emphasized that community engagement remains one of the core mandates of the University and assured the delegation that the management would continue to support initiatives capable of improving educational standards in Lapai and beyond.
The Management team further noted that the University’s Staff School serves as a model institution for quality basic education and expressed readiness to share its experiences through staff exchange programmes, curriculum support, teacher mentoring, and capacity-building workshops.
They reaffirmed the University’s resolve to work closely with the Local Education Authority in developing competent teachers, stressing that quality manpower remains the foundation of every successful educational system and the key to producing academically outstanding pupils and students.