May 12, (THEWILL) – As part of efforts to improve educational standards and combat doctrinal misinterpretation in Nigeria’s insurgency-affected North-East, the Federal Government, in collaboration with the North East Development Commission (NEDC), has launched a two-week train-the-trainer workshop for 600 Arabic and Tsangaya (traditional Islamic school) teachers.
The capacity-building programme, largely sponsored by the NEDC, is being held at the Maiduguri campus of the Nigeria Arabic Language Village (NALV), Ngala, Borno State. The initiative is geared towards enhancing Islamic education and reducing the region’s alarming rate of out-of-school children.
Jointly organised by NALV and the NEDC, the workshop is designed to strengthen the teaching capacity of Arabic instructors through improved grammar proficiency, phonological accuracy, and modern teaching methodologies, in addition to providing vocational skills.
Speaking at the opening ceremony, the Minister of State for Education, Dr. Tunji Alausa, represented by the Vice-Chancellor of Al-Ansar University, Prof. Abubakar Kundiri, said the initiative is intended to prevent doctrinal distortions arising from poor understanding of Arabic grammar.
“By deepening our teachers’ grasp of Arabic, particularly in areas of grammatical rules and phonological precision, this training aims to curb misinterpretations that could lead to doctrinal confusion or extremism,” he stated.
Alausa also described the initiative as a sustainable model for Arabic and Islamic education reform in Nigeria, not just a one-off intervention.
“With 100 teachers selected from each of the six states in the North-East, this pilot programme marks the beginning of a long-term strategy to enhance the quality of teaching in Tsangaya and Islamiyya schools across the region,” he added.
Also speaking at the event, Borno State Deputy Governor, Usman Kadafur, said the programme would foster a healthy balance between cultural and Western education in the region.
“The focus on training the trainers is strategic. By equipping those who educate others, we are multiplying impact, promoting sustainability, and ensuring that knowledge continues to flow into our schools and communities,” Kadafur said.
