Vice President Kashim Shettima has praised the North East Development Commission (NEDC) for prioritising education and green technology, describing these efforts as transformative for the region’s future.
He spoke yesterday at the Presidential Villa in Abuja, where he met with NEDC officials for a briefing on the Accelerated Senior Secondary Education Programme (ASSEP).
Shettima emphasised that posterity would judge the commission kindly for its commitment beyond infrastructure development.
“Education remains the greatest equalizer, allowing even the son of a peasant to rise to greatness. The ASSEP initiative is a game changer, bringing digital tools like Virtual Reality (VR) headsets into classrooms and revolutionizing learning for both students and teachers,” he said.
He highlighted ASSEP’s ability to train hundreds of teachers across multiple institutions, positioning it as one of the commission’s most impactful interventions.
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“The world is investing in digital education because of its benefits, from personalized learning to improved knowledge retention. By leveraging VR and other technologies, we can make remote learning more accessible and effective,” Shettima added.
The Vice President urged greater collaboration between the NEDC, the Federal Ministry of Regional Development, and other stakeholders to enhance efficiency.
Shettima also commended NEDC’s leadership for maintaining financial discipline despite public pressure.
“Many expect the NEDC to spend recklessly, but its leadership has shown commitment to accountability and results,” he noted.
Emphasising the urgent need for educational investments, Shettima painted a stark picture of poverty levels in the North East, comparing it to some of the poorest regions in the world.
“If the North East were a country, it would be poorer than Chad and Niger. The region needs targeted interventions to break the cycle of poverty and insecurity,” he stressed.
Minister of State for Regional Development, Uba Maigari Ahmadu, reaffirmed the administration’s commitment to strengthening education through scholarships, infrastructure upgrades, and digital learning tools.
NEDC Managing Director Mohammed Alkali outlined the commission’s education-focused initiatives, including teacher training programs, ICT training centres, and the establishment of mega schools in each senatorial district.
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“We have formalized partnerships with institutions like the National Teachers Institute and set up dedicated training centres to ensure continuous learning and capacity building,” Alkali stated.
The meeting ended with the presentation of Virtual Reality headsets to Vice President Shettima, marking a symbolic step in the commission’s push for digital education transformation.
