The United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO) has inaugurated a Sensitisation and School Mapping Exercise under the EU–UNESCO Education and Youth Empowerment Project (Phase II) in Bayelsa State.

The initiative, which is in partnership with the Bayelsa Universal Basic Education Board (SUBEB), is targeted at six focus states across Nigeria.

The aim is to strengthen the educational system and improve learning outcomes.

The Head of Office and UNESCO Representative in Nigeria, Jean-Paul Abiaga, at the inauguration on Monday, expressed appreciation to the government and people of Bayelsa State for hosting the sensitisation activity.

He said, “Today marks a significant step in the implementation of the European Union–funded Project: Education and Youth Empowerment in Nigeria (2nd Phase).

“The aim is to Expand, Integrate and Strengthen Systems (EISS) to build teachers’ capacity and resilience. UNESCO is honoured to provide technical support across six project focal states: Adamawa, Bayelsa, Enugu, Oyo, Plateau and Katsina.

“This initiative reflects a shared commitment to strengthening Nigeria’s education system by investing in the professional resilience, collaboration, and effectiveness of teachers—the backbone of learning and national development.”

Mr Abiaga said that the engagement—the establishment of Teacher Learning Teams (TLTs)—is at the heart of UNESCO’s vision for sustainable teacher development.

“TLTs create a platform where teachers learn from one another, strengthen their pedagogical practices, and build deeper connections with their students and communities.

“Evidence from around the world shows that when teachers collaborate, student learning improves, school communities thrive, and education systems become more equitable and resilient.

“Through collaboration with SUBEB, the state ministry of education, and LGEAs, this activity will generate vital, geo-referenced data on school locations, teacher deployment, and infrastructure,” he said.

On his part, the Executive Chairman of SUBEB, Ifidi Festus, said that the sensitisation was to enlighten and encourage the people to support the school mapping in Bayelsa State.

Mr Festus,represented by the Director of the Social Mobilisation Department, SUBEB, Joy Pulesi-Otowono, commended UNESCO for the training and funding of the project.

In his address, Simon Peter, Permanent Secretary, state Ministry of Education, Simon Peter, said that the move was to sensitise the people to

the initiative.

He said that the ministry of education was happy with the partnership and urged the schools involved to take the mapping seriously to help the students.

Speaking, Programme Assistant, UNESCO, Esther Ikenye, said the project objective was to review, strengthen and implement education policies and programmes by addressing teachers’ shortage and work conditions.

She said it was also to reinforce and support individual teacher capacities (in-service and pre-service) by developing an expanded teacher education programme with a focus on resilience in fragile contexts.

“The aim is to build a better teacher-student-colleague relationship in the communities,” Ms Esther said.

The theme of the project is “Expand, Integrate and Strengthen Systems (EISS) to Build Teachers’ Capacity and Resilience.” 

(NAN)