Lagos State government has said that it remains firmly committed to building a future-ready education system in th state, stating that quality education in today’s world must extend beyond the traditional classroom.

The Secretary to Lagos State government, Bimbola Salu-Hundeyin, stated this, on Thursday, at the closing ceremony of the 2026 MTN-SAIL teachers fellowship programme.

“As a government, Lagos State remains firmly committed to building a future-ready education system, in line with the vision of our THEMES PLUS Agenda.

“Education and technology remain central to our developmental priorities. We recognise that quality education in today’s world must extend beyond the traditional classroom. It must equip our young people with the knowledge, digital competence, creativity and innovative mindset required to thrive in an increasingly competitive and technology-driven global environment.

“Our investment in technology-enabled learning and continuous professional development for teachers is therefore deliberate. We are committed to building an education system that is inclusive, innovative and future-ready, while ensuring that our teachers are empowered to effectively harness technology in delivering quality education and preparing our children for the future.

“It is against this backdrop that partnerships such as the MTN-SAIL Teachers Fellowship Programme are particularly valuable to Lagos State. We recognise that the quality of our education system is inseparable from the quality, capacity and motivation of our teachers. When we invest in our teachers, we are, in effect, investing in the future of our children and the sustainable development of our society.”

Commending the MTN Nigeria Foundation for its sustained investment in teacher development and digital education, she noted that the training of 8,702 public primary and secondary school teachers nationwide is a commendable demonstration of its commitment to strengthening the quality of education and equipping teachers with the skills required to navigate the demands of a rapidly changing world.

“To the 500 teachers graduating from Stage Two, I warmly congratulate you on this significant achievement. Your participation in this programme goes beyond personal development; it presents you with an opportunity to transfer the knowledge, digital skills and contemporary teaching methods acquired to your students and fellow educators, thereby multiplying the impact of this initiative across our schools.”

The Co-founder of SAIL Empowerment Foundation, Mrs Feyisola Abiru implored the teachers to continue to make sacrifices to build future leaders and professionals even when applause is rare in their profession.

“When SAIL started this Fellowship in 2022, we began from a simple observation. Between every education policy and every Nigerian child stands one person: the teacher.

“Equip that teacher, and the policy works. Leave that teacher unsupported, and no amount of spending downstream will fix it. So SAIL chose to invest at exactly that point.

“Scaling it was not something we could do alone. When the MTN Foundation joined us, a Lagos initiative became a national one,

reaching all 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory. In 2024 we trained 4,000 teachers. In this cohort, 5,000. Cumulatively, this fellowship has now trained more than 10,000 Nigerian teachers. That is not a rounding error in the education system. That is a movement.”

According to Abiru, Phase 1 opened with 5,000 teachers, disclosing that that every one of them from a public school, primary and secondary, from cities and from communities where a reliable network signal is a walk away.
“Not one from a private school. That was deliberate. The public system is where the great majority of Nigerian children sit.

“Phase 2 was designed to be harder: three months of intensive online training, with sustained assessment and real application in the classroom. From the 5,000, the best 500 earned a place on it, and those 500 are the graduands we celebrate today. When I say the best 500, I am not being ceremonial. I am reporting a result.

“This cohort will be remembered for one thing above all. This year, through  the  MTN  Foundation,  Microsoft  brought  artificial
intelligence into the curriculum. You are among the first Nigerian classroom  teachers  formally  trained  in  AI-assisted  teaching.

“Around  the  world,  education  systems  are  still  arguing  about whether  AI  belongs  in  the  classroom.  You  have  already  been
trained to use it responsibly. You are not catching up with the future. On this, you are ahead of it.”

She revealed that from  the  500  graduating  today,  five teachers  that distinguished
themselves will go home today with a brand new laptop and laptop bag courtesy of SAIL Foundation.