The Africa Forum for Innovative Teachers (AFFiT) officially deepened its commitment to advancing teacher education across Nigeria by signing a crucial strategic partnership with the National Association of Colleges of Education Students (NANCES), the apex body representing students in Colleges of Education (COEs). This landmark collaboration, is a strategic move to ensure the widespread success and acceptance of modern teaching methodologies and digital tools among future teachers nationwide.

?The new partnership with NANCES comes months after AFFiT signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the National Commission for Colleges of Education (NCCE). The initial MoU with NCCE served as the crucial foundation for AFFiT’s commitment to enhancing innovation in teacher education, specifically by equipping COEs with modern teaching methodologies and digital tools.

?To ensure widespread nationwide impact across all six geopolitical zones and maintain accountability, AFFiT has now entered this crucial strategic partnership with NANCES. Dr. Ogah Emmanuel, Director General of AFFiT, emphasized the strategic imperative of this alliance. He explained that since the MoU with NCCE is targeted at training students, carrying the student body along is essential for the program’s success on campuses.

"What we are doing is to bring in the students," Dr. Emmanuel stated, noting that NANCES leaders would inform their members, especially the Students’ Union Government (SUG) Presidents, about the initiative and ensure its wholehearted acceptance. "This collaboration with the student union bodies is a form of wider consultation, ensuring the program's successful and seamless execution, building on the foundation laid by the NCCE MoU."On his part, Comrade. Isaac Ushahemba, National President of NANCES, described the MoU as a "groundbreaking partnership" representing a new dawn in teacher education and professional development. The core purpose of the collaboration is to offer critical professional and capacity-building opportunities to students in Colleges of Education nationwide. According to him, AFFiT will jointly implement structured programs designed to significantly enhance the competence, creativity, and innovative skills of future teachers, helping to bridge the gap between theory and practice in the teaching profession.

?The strategic focus of the partnership will be centered on three critical areas essential for equipping the modern teacher. Firstly, it will promote Entrepreneurship Education to foster self-reliance, innovation, and economic empowerment among student-teachers. Secondly, it will strengthen Early Reading Development by training future teachers in modern strategies for effective foundational literacy and child-centered learning. Finally, the collaboration will emphasize Technical Education to align vocational teaching skills with Nigeria's developmental needs and the global shift toward practical, skill-based learning. NANCES however, pledged its full commitment to driving this partnership to all campuses under the Colleges of Education system, aligning the initiative with the Federal Government's Renewed Hope Agenda.