From Celestine Ihejirika, Jalingo
The Taraba State Governor, Agbu Kefas, has urged teachers who participated in a two-day Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) and space exploration training programme to apply the knowledge acquired in their classrooms.
Kefas gave the charge while flagging off the two-day training programme organised for teachers of public schools across the state as part of the STEM and space exploration development initiative.
The governor, who was represented at the event by the Commissioner for Digital Economy and Innovation, Hon. Gideon Nonso, emphasised the importance of the programme in preparing students for the future.
Speaking on the theme of the programme, “Touching the Stars from Taraba,” Kefas noted that Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) remained central to the development of every modern society.
According to him, the younger generation must be equipped with the knowledge, skills and confidence needed to participate meaningfully in an increasingly technology-driven world.
He reiterated his administration’s commitment to prioritising quality education, digital literacy and skills development.
“We believe that investing in our teacher is one of the most important investments we can make in the future of Taraba”, he stated.
Kefas said the focus on space exploration made the programme more exciting, noting that space science and technology had applications in telecommunications, agriculture, navigation, weather forecasting, environmental monitoring and several other areas of human endeavour.
He stressed that training teachers in these areas was crucial to empowering them to inspire young people to pursue careers in science, engineering, technology, mathematics and space science.
The governor encouraged the participants to take full advantage of the opportunity to learn, ask questions, collaborate and take the knowledge gained from the training back to their classrooms.
Kefas also appreciated the partners and facilitators for their support, assuring that Taraba State would soon reach its desired destination.
In his address, the Commissioner for Science and Technology, Hon. Muslim Abdullahi, reaffirmed the commitment of the Taraba State Government to strengthening STEM education across the state through innovative and practical learning opportunities.
Abdullahi emphasised the critical role teachers play in preparing young people for the opportunities of the 21st century, urging the participants to maximise the training and integrate the knowledge acquired into their classrooms.
He said the state government envisioned a future where more Taraba youths would pursue careers in aerospace engineering, satellite operations, Earth observation, remote sensing, astronomy, space science and other emerging areas of the space economy.
The commissioner encouraged the participants to become ambassadors of STEM innovation and space education in their respective schools, noting that the future of aerospace and technological advancement begins with inspired teachers capable of sparking curiosity in young minds.
He appreciated STREAM for the Future and the Limitless Space Institute for their partnership and expertise, expressing optimism that the collaboration would contribute significantly to transforming STEM education across Taraba State.
The commissioner also urged the educators to actively participate, ask questions, collaborate and make the most of the knowledge shared during the training.
In her remarks, the facilitator, Maranatha Haa of the Limitless Space Global Educator Team and STREAM for the Future, said the training was designed to equip teachers from the 16 local government areas of the state with knowledge about space, which they would subsequently transfer to students in public schools.
“This program was brought to the state by the Governor Dr. Agbu Kefas through the Commissioner, Ministry of Science and Technology, Hon. Muslim Usman Abdullahi for the benefit of the state.
“After the training, Teachers will learn and be equipped on SPACE, and after the training, they will go into practical’s which they will inturne take the knowledge to students. Example, on how to use local materials to purify water for drinking,” she stated.
